Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24

Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24

This brightening night moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Lactic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin.

This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide 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

Methyl Trimethicone

Squalane

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polysorbate 40

Cetyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Myristyl Alcohol

PEG-100 Stearate

Jojoba Esters

Glycerin

Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil

Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Leaf Oil

Valeriana Officinalis Root Oil

Ferula Galbaniflua Resin Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Limonene

Linalool

Citral

Citronellol

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Citric Acid

Tartaric Acid

Lactic Acid

Salicylic Acid

Biotin

Castanea Sativa Seed Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

CI 77220

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Sucrose

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract

Glyceryl Stearate

Simmondsia Chinensis Butter

Hypnea Musciformis Extract

Linoleic Acid

Gelidiella Acerosa Extract

Squalene

Phospholipids

Phytosterols

Tocotrienols

Ethylhexylglycerin

Carbomer

Trehalose

Sodium PCA

Arginine

Caprylyl Glycol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopherol

Ceteareth-20

Hexylene Glycol

Tromethamine

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Methyl Trimethicone, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 40, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Myristyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Jojoba Esters, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Leaf Oil, Valeriana Officinalis Root Oil, Ferula Galbaniflua Resin Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Citronellol, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Biotin, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, CI 77220, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sucrose, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Butter, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Linoleic Acid, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Squalene, Phospholipids, Phytosterols, Tocotrienols, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Trehalose, Sodium PCA, Arginine, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Ceteareth-20, Hexylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol

Isohexadecane

Niacinamide

Isopropyl Isostearate

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Stearyl Alcohol

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Panthenol

Sodium Lactate

Cetearyl Glucoside

Behenyl Alcohol

Stearic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Dimethiconol

Sodium Benzoate

Parfum

Ascorbic Acid

Avena Sativa Peptide

Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Lactic Acid, Isopropyl Isostearate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Stearyl Alcohol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Sodium Lactate, Trehalose, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Dimethiconol, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Peptide

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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.

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.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

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.

Lactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.

Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.

Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.

Like glycolic acid, it can:

Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.

Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.

To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.

Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.

Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.

When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the product’s pH.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.

PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.

As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.

Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.

In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.

Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.

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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