Olehenriksen Truth Serum Versus First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream

Olehenriksen Truth Serum Versus First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream

This brightening serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate to brighten dull-looking skin.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Oleth-20

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Citric Acid

Parfum

PEG-12 Dimethicone

Tocopheryl Acetate

Aroma

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Disodium Phosphate

Polysorbate 60

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Thioctic Acid

Calcium Ascorbate

Sodium Phosphate

Sorbitol

Citrus Grandis Seed Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Ascorbic Acid

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Euphrasia Officinalis Extract

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Potassium Sorbate

Triacetin

Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate

Benzyl Benzoate

Limonene

Linalool

CI 15985

Water, Glycerin, Oleth-20, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Parfum, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aroma, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Thioctic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate, Sodium Phosphate, Sorbitol, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ascorbic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Potassium Sorbate, Triacetin, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool, CI 15985

Dimethicone

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Silica

Enteromorpha Compressa Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Sodium PCA

Alpha-Arbutin

Niacinamide

Bisabolol

Phenyl Methicone

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Caprylyl Methicone

Butylene Glycol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine

Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum

Sodium Isostearate

Sodium Lactate

Carbomer

Polysilicone-11

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Hydroxide

Xanthan Gum

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium PCA, Alpha-Arbutin, Niacinamide, Bisabolol, Phenyl Methicone, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Methicone, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Sodium Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Polysilicone-11, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

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.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

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.

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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