Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Moisturizer Versus CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Moisturizer Versus CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This brightening serum is

Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Moisturizer Versus CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum

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

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Ceramide NP to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Tapioca Starch

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Retinol

Retinyl Propionate

Niacinamide

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Polyacrylamide

C13-14 Isoparaffin

DMDM Hydantoin

Polysorbate 20

Laureth-4

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Laureth-7

Dimethiconol

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Aminomethyl Propanol

Titanium Dioxide

Disodium EDTA

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Retinol, Retinyl Propionate, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, DMDM Hydantoin, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-4, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Laureth-7, Dimethiconol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Aminomethyl Propanol, Titanium Dioxide, Disodium EDTA, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ascorbic Acid

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate

Alcohol Denat.

Sodium Hydroxide

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Panthenol

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Carbomer

Cetearyl Alcohol

Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Cholesterol

Phenoxyethanol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Isopropyl Myristate

Caprylyl Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Phytosphingosine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Panthenol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Ethylhexylglycerin

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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 Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
  4. 04As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
  5. 05It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
  6. 06A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
  7. 07Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  8. 08What it does:
  9. 09Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  10. 10Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  11. 11Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  12. 12This 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.
  13. 13Note: 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.
  14. 14Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  15. 15Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  16. 16Your 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.
  17. 17Aquaporin-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.
  18. 18This 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.
  19. 19Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  20. 20Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

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