Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel Versus La Roche-Posay Redermic R Eyes Anti-Aging Eye Cream with Retinol

Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel Versus La Roche-Posay Redermic R Eyes Anti-Aging Eye Cream with Retinol

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Caffeine and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Dimethicone

Panthenol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Dimethiconol

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Disodium EDTA

Carbomer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Aminomethyl Propanol

1,2-Hexanediol

Phenoxyethanol

CI 61570

Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, CI 61570

Isocetyl Stearate

Octyldodecanol

Pentylene Glycol

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Caffeine

Isohexadecane

Sodium Hydroxide

Retinol

Retinyl Linoleate

Adenosine

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Citric Acid

Polysilicone-8

Polysorbate 80

Water, Isocetyl Stearate, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caffeine, Isohexadecane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Retinol, Retinyl Linoleate, Adenosine, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Polysilicone-8, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.

As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.

The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.

True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).

It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.

Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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