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Skin science article

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Overnight Mask Versus Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Overnight Mask Versus Laneige Water Sleeping Mask This hydrating overnight mask is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier. This hydrating overnight mask is formulated around

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Overnight Mask Versus Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

This hydrating overnight mask is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

This hydrating overnight mask is formulated around Ceramide AP and Squalane to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Cyclopentasiloxane

Isopentyldiol

Propanediol

Dimethicone

Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract

Niacinamide

Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein

Panthenol

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Chloride

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Citrate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Pentylene Glycol

Parfum

PEG-10 Dimethicone

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Beta-Glucan

Cellulose

Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isopentyldiol, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Niacinamide, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Panthenol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Parfum, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Beta-Glucan, Cellulose

Methyl Trimethicone

Ceramide AP

1,2-Hexanediol

Squalane

Phenyl Trimethicone

PCA Dimethicone

Caprylyl Methicone

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Carbomer

Tromethamine

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Glyceryl Caprylate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Disodium EDTA

Raffinose

Stearyl Behenate

Malachite Extract

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Inulin Lauryl Carbamate

Tryptophan

Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea

Limonene

Saururus Chinensis Extract

Acorus Gramineus Extract

Linalool

Tocopherol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Squalane, Phenyl Trimethicone, PCA Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Carbomer, Propanediol, Tromethamine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Raffinose, Stearyl Behenate, Malachite Extract, Parfum, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Niacinamide, Tryptophan, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Beta-Glucan, Limonene, Saururus Chinensis Extract, Acorus Gramineus Extract, Linalool, Tocopherol

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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.

Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.

It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.

On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin

The more interesting story is underneath:

Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.

A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.

It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.

This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.

Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.

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.

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

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

PCA Skin Ideal Complex Restorative Eye GelIngredients explained

  1. 01Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product.
  2. 02It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water.
  3. 03Expand to read more
  4. 04Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) is drying.
  5. 05One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Like this, the products can stay more stable over time.
  6. 06A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  7. 07A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  8. 08Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  9. 09Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  10. 10High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
  11. 11A synthetic emollient oil that leaves a soft non-greasy, non-sticky feel on the skin, absorbs fast and can be emulsified (mixed with water) very easily.
  12. 12A super common, medium-spreading emollient ester that gives richness to the formula and a mild feel during rubout. It can be a replacement for mineral oil and is often combined with other emollients to achieve different sensorial properties.
  13. 13A multi-functional, silky feeling helper ingredient that can do quite many things. It's used as an emulsion stabilizer, solvent and a broad spectrum antimicrobial. According to manufacturer info, it's also a moisturizer and helps to make the product…
  14. 14Boron Nitride is a graphite-like, crystalline material that has light-diffusing and texture improving properties. It is quite the multi-tasker as it can blur imperfections, add an exceptional creamy feel to products and act as a mattifying agent.
  15. 15In powder makeup products (think blushers, highlighters), it enhances the skin feel and improves the color pay-off. In lipsticks, it gives a creamy feel and a better color on the lips.
  16. 16An extremely common multitasker ingredient that gives your skin a nice soft feel (emollient) and gives body to creams and lotions. It also helps to stabilize oil-water mixes (emulsions), though it does not function as an emulsifier in itself. Its ty…
  17. 17It’s a so-called fatty alcohol, a mix of cetyl and stearyl alcohol, other two emollient fatty alcohols. Though chemically speaking, it is alcohol (as in, it has an -OH group in its molecule), its properties are totally different from the properties …
  18. 18Butylene glycol, or let’s just call it BG, is a multi-tasking colorless, syrupy liquid. It’s a great pick for creating a nice feeling product.
  19. 19BG’s main job is usually to be a solvent for the other ingredients. Other tasks include helping the product to absorb faster and deeper into the skin (penetration enhancer), making the product spread nicely over the skin (slip agent), and attracting…
  20. 20It’s an ingredient whose safety hasn’t been questioned so far by anyone (at least not that we know about). BG is approved by Ecocert and is also used enthusiastically in natural products. BTW, it’s also a food additive.
Source · incidecoder.com
02

Product index

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03

Comparison edit

Read side by side