Skin science article
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream Versus Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream Versus Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer This eye moisturizer is formulated around Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters to hydrate skin. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrosperm
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream Versus Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer
This eye moisturizer is formulated around Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters to hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Linoleic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
C10-18 Triglycerides
Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Propanediol
Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Cetearyl Olivate
Stearyl Alcohol
Octyldodecanol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Sorbitan Olivate
Behenyl Alcohol
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Medicago Sativa Seed Extract
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Gluconolactone
Phytosterols
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Squalene
Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Ethylhexylglycerin
Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer
Myristyl Myristate
Xanthan Gum
Citric Acid
Sodium Benzoate
Phenoxyethanol
Potassium Sorbate
Water, Glycerin, C10-18 Triglycerides, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Cetearyl Olivate, Stearyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Olivate, Behenyl Alcohol, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Medicago Sativa Seed Extract, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Gluconolactone, Phytosterols, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Squalene, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer, Myristyl Myristate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Ceteareth-6 Olivate
Butylene Glycol
C13-15 Alkane
Glyceryl Stearate
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Decyl Oleate
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Olive Oil
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract
Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Linoleic Acid
Linolenic Acid
Oleic Acid
Euterpe Oleracea Sterols
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Ceramide NP
Serine
Alanine
Glycine
Proline
Lysine Hcl
Threonine
Arginine
Squalane
Cholesterol
Phytosphingosine
Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract
Lecithin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Lactate
Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract
Adenosine
Phytic Acid
Glutamic Acid
Betaine
Pullulan
PCA
Sodium PCA
Carbomer
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
Sclerotium Gum
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceteareth-6 Olivate, Butylene Glycol, C13-15 Alkane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Decyl Oleate, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Oleic Acid, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Proline, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Squalane, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lactate, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Adenosine, Phytic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Betaine, Pullulan, PCA, Sodium PCA, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
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.