Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer (Fragrance Free) Versus Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream

Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer (Fragrance Free) Versus Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Panthenol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This barrier-repair mois

Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer (Fragrance Free) Versus Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream

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

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Isohexadecane

Dimethicone

Isopropyl Isostearate

Stearyl Alcohol

Polyacrylamide

Panthenol

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Tapioca Starch

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Caprylyl Glycol

Dimethiconol

Laureth-7

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

Cetyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Disodium EDTA

PEG-100 Stearate

Titanium Dioxide

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

1,2-Hexanediol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Isostearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Tapioca Starch, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Laureth-7, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, PEG-100 Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol

Isocetyl Stearate

Propanediol

Alcohol Denat.

Cetyl Esters

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Pentylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Mannose

Sodium Polyacrylate

Sodium PCA

Salicylic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Citric Acid

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Isocetyl Stearate, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Cetyl Esters, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Mannose, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium PCA, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Parfum

Reviews

Be the first to review

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).

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-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.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Side-by-side

  1. 01Water
  2. 02Cyclopentasiloxane
  3. 03Glycerin
  4. 04Niacinamide
  5. 05Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
  6. 06Dimethicone
  7. 07Dimethicone Crosspolymer
  8. 08Panthenol
  9. 09Polyethylene
  10. 10Polyacrylamide
  11. 11Tocopheryl Acetate
  12. 12C13-14 Isoparaffin
  13. 13DMDM Hydantoin
  14. 14Allantoin
  15. 15Laureth-4
  16. 16Dimethiconol
  17. 17Laureth-7
  18. 18Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
  19. 19Sodium Hyaluronate
  20. 20Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
Source · skinsort.com
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side