Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Pacifica Wake Up Beautiful Overnight Retinoid Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Moisturizer

Pacifica Wake Up Beautiful Overnight Retinoid Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Moisturizer This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This an

Pacifica Wake Up Beautiful Overnight Retinoid Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Moisturizer

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

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Glycerin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Cetyl Esters

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate

Inonotus Obliquus Extract

Melatonin

Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Oil

Rosa Damascena Flower Water

Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract

Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract

Rose Extract

Paeonia Officinalis Flower Extract

Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract

Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract

Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

Tocopherol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Sclerotium Gum

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Citric Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetyl Esters, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Melatonin, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Rose Extract, Paeonia Officinalis Flower Extract, Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Dimethicone

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

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

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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

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. 03Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  4. 04What it does:
  5. 05Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  6. 06Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  7. 07Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  8. 08This 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.
  9. 09Note: 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.
  10. 10Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
  11. 11This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
  12. 12On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
  13. 13One 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 st…
  14. 14Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
  15. 15You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
  16. 16Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
  17. 17It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
  18. 18The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
  19. 19Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
  20. 20True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side