Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream Versus The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream Versus The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Sodium PCA

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Sodium Polyacrylate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Glucosyl Hesperidin

Copper Gluconate

Troxerutin

Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate

Resveratrol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Phytic Acid

Beta-Glucan

Acetyl Glucosamine

Tocopherol

Allantoin

Adenosine

Dextran

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sea Whip Extract

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Xanthan Gum

Cetearyl Alcohol

Maltodextrin

Benzyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Dimethicone, Sodium PCA, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Copper Gluconate, Troxerutin, Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate, Resveratrol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Phytic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Adenosine, Dextran, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sea Whip Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Maltodextrin, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Pentaerythrityl Distearate

Shea Butter Ethyl Esters

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Copernicia Cerifera Cera

Propanediol

Glycogen

Sodium Gluconate

Retinol

Polysorbate 20

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dehydroacetic Acid

Citric Acid

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate

Ethyl Ferulate

Humulus Lupulus Extract

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Cetearyl Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Propanediol, Glycogen, Sodium Gluconate, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Ethyl Ferulate, Humulus Lupulus Extract

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.

Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.

This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.

As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.

The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.

This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.

It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.

Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.

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%.

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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