Olay Eyes Eye Lifting Serum Versus No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Eye Cream

Olay Eyes Eye Lifting Serum Versus No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Retinyl Palmitate and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Polyethylene

Panthenol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Allantoin

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Dimethiconol

Laureth-4

Laureth-7

Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate

Disodium EDTA

Polyacrylamide

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

1,2-Hexanediol

Triethoxycaprylylsilane

Phenoxyethanol

Titanium Dioxide

Mica

Iron Oxides

Caprylyl Glycol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polyethylene, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Allantoin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dimethiconol, Laureth-4, Laureth-7, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Disodium EDTA, Polyacrylamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxides, Caprylyl Glycol, C13-14 Isoparaffin

Cyclopentasiloxane

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cyclohexasiloxane

Cetearyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Stearic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Alcohol Denat.

Methylparaben

Propylene Glycol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylparaben

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Retinyl Palmitate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sorbitan Laurate

Potassium Hydroxide

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Carbomer

Steareth-20

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol

Medicago Sativa Extract

Polysorbate 20

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Morus Alba Leaf Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Chlorhexidine Digluconate

Tocopherol

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Potassium Sorbate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dipeptide-2

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

CI 77891

CI 77492

CI 77491

CI 77499

Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Polyacrylamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Alcohol Denat., C13-14 Isoparaffin, Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Laureth-7, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylparaben, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbitan Laurate, Potassium Hydroxide, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Carbomer, Steareth-20, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Medicago Sativa Extract, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Tocopherol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

C13-14 Isoparaffin is a synthetic emollient, solvent, and thickening agent. It helps soften skin and improves spreadability without leaving a greasy residue.

This ingredient has been found to be non-sensitizing and safe for use in cosmetics.

Two things floating around online that cause fear-mongering:

There's one scary-sounding study related to kidney tumors in male rats; this depends on a protein called alpha-2u-globulin that binds the ingredient and clogs up kidney cells. Female rats barely make this protein, and humans don't make it at all so this effect cannot happen to us. Regulatory bodies have states this rat-only pathway shouldn't be used to judge human risk.

The other thing you'll see is 1,4-dioxane being a trace byproduct that can form during manufacturing of petroleum-derived ingredients. This is a real, but heavily managed/monitored issue. This byproduct is removed through purification steps before the ingredients goes into the formula. Regulatory bodies also actively monitor residual levels for safety.

One last thing to note: this ingredient is a pure hydrocarbon with no fatty-acid or ester chains for Malassezia to feed on, so it's considered fungal acne safe.

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.

Laureth-7 is created by the ethoxylation of lauryl alcohol using ethylene oxide. Lauryl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with hydrating properties.

This ingredient is an emulsifier and cleansing ingredient. As an emulsifier, it is used to prevent ingredients from separating. It also helps cleanse the skin by gathering dirt, oil, and pollutants to be rinsed away.

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.

Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer. It is used to stabilize products and bind ingredients. When hydrated, Polyacrylamide forms a soft gel.

Polyacrylamide is low-toxicity. If source properly, it is deemed safe to use in cosmetics.

It should be noted the precursor to Polyacrylamide is acrylamide. Acrylamide is a carcinogen. Most reputable sources of Polyacrylamide will screen for residual acrylamide to make sure the count is in a safe range. Acrylamide is not able to be absorbed through the skin.

We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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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