Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum Versus NeoStrata Skin Active Triple Therapy Lifting Serum

Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Contour Serum Versus NeoStrata Skin Active Triple Therapy Lifting Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinyl Acetate and Caffeine to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Gluconolactone to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Dipropylene Glycol

Sd Alcohol 40-B

Behenyl Alcohol

Silica

PEG-400

Batyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Methylparaben

Carbomer

Dimethylacrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer

Trisodium EDTA

Tocopheryl Acetate

Retinyl Acetate

Alcohol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

BHT

Polyquaternium-51

Parfum

Potassium Hydroxide

Caffeine

Xanthan Gum

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

PPG-3 Dipivalate

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

CI 77492

Tocopherol

Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract

Linalool

Limonene

Sodium Metabisulfite

Triisostearin

Uncaria Gambir Extract

Citronellol

Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract

Trimethylolpropane Triethylhexanoate

Geraniol

Cellulose

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Hydroxyproline

Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Methicone

Tetradecene

Eucheuma Serra/Grateloupia Sparsa/Saccharina Angustata/Ulva Linza/Undaria Pinnatifida Extract

Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract

Saccharina Angustata/Undaria Pinnatifida Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Ascorbyl Dipalmitate

Water, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Behenyl Alcohol, Silica, PEG-400, Batyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Dimethylacrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer, Trisodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Acetate, Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, BHT, Polyquaternium-51, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PPG-3 Dipivalate, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, CI 77492, Tocopherol, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Linalool, Limonene, Sodium Metabisulfite, Triisostearin, Uncaria Gambir Extract, Citronellol, Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract, Trimethylolpropane Triethylhexanoate, Geraniol, Cellulose, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxyproline, Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Methicone, Tetradecene, Eucheuma Serra/Grateloupia Sparsa/Saccharina Angustata/Ulva Linza/Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract, Saccharina Angustata/Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ascorbyl Dipalmitate

PEG-8

Gluconolactone

1,2-Hexanediol

Cyclopentasiloxane

Pentylene Glycol

PEG-12 Dimethicone

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Acetyl Tyrosinamide

Cyclohexasiloxane

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Dimethiconol

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Polyacrylate-13

Polyisobutene

Isopropyl Myristate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Sulfite

Ammonium Hydroxide

Caprylyl Glycol

Methyldihydrojasmonate

2,6-Dimethyl-7-Octen-2-Ol

Ethyl Acetoacetate

Methyl Benzodioxepinone

Chlorphenesin

CI 17200

CI 42090

Water, PEG-8, Gluconolactone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Acetyl Tyrosinamide, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethiconol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Isopropyl Myristate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Sulfite, BHT, Ammonium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Methyldihydrojasmonate, 2,6-Dimethyl-7-Octen-2-Ol, Ethyl Acetoacetate, Methyl Benzodioxepinone, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, CI 17200, CI 42090

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.

As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.

The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.

However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.

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.

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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