Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream Versus Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Eye Cream

Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream Versus Paula's Choice C5 Super Boost Eye Cream

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Niacinamide

Propylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Panthenol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Dimethiconol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Polysorbate 20

Laureth-4

Laureth-7

Disodium EDTA

Tapioca Starch

Polyacrylamide

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Aminomethyl Propanol

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Phenoxyethanol

Ascorbic Acid

Avena Sativa Peptide

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethiconol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-4, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Tapioca Starch, Polyacrylamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Peptide

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Triheptanoin

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Arachidyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Alcohol

C13-15 Alkane

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Sh-Polypeptide-121

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Hyaluronic Acid

Zerumbone

Bacillus Ferment

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Behenyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Glucoside

Propanediol

Cetyl Alcohol

Sodium Phytate

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Sodium Metabisulfite

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Arachidyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, C13-15 Alkane, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sh-Polypeptide-121, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Hyaluronic Acid, Zerumbone, Bacillus Ferment, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is one of the most popular "stable" vitamin C derivatives in skincare.

Plain ascorbic acid is fantastic but notoriously fragile; it browns, oxidizes, and loses potency fast. So attaching an ethyl group to the third carbon of the molecule gives it some cool perks:

In a formula, it does the 3 classic vitamin C jobs: it acts as an antioxidant, helps brighten skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, and supports collagen.

The evidence is reasonably solid for a cosmetic ingredient; Liao and colleagues (2018) showed it's significantly more stable than ascorbic acid while still being effective.

A 2021 study by Zerbinati and colleagues tested a serum with 30% 3-O-ethyl-l-ascorbic acid and 1% lactic acid significantly increased collagen production, reduced UVB-induced DNA damage, and decreased melanin on a reconstructed pigmented skin model.

Typical real world usage sits around 0.5-5% (and 1-2% is common for daily serums).

Amounts up to 30% have been shown to be non-irritating on human skin samples, but two isolated cases reported allergic contact dermatitis so a patch test is sensible if you have reactive skin.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

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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