The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand Versus The INKEY List Retinol Serum

The Glow Fairy Retinol Glow Wand Versus The INKEY List Retinol Serum

This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil and Olea Europaea Fruit Oil to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinyl Acetate and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Beeswax

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Cetearyl Alcohol

Paraffinum Liquidum

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Glycereth-26

Allantoin

Retinol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Dimethicone

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Polysorbate 60

Sodium Hyaluronate

Stearic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Sorbitan Stearate

Water

Glyceryl Stearate

Natto Gum

Polyquaternium-51

Triethanolamine

Xanthan Gum

PEG-100 Stearate

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Alcohol

Centella Asiatica Extract

Imidazolidinyl Urea

Methylparaben

Propylparaben

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract

Morus Alba Fruit Extract

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Caprylic Acid

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Lecithin

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Parfum

Benzophenone-9

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Disodium EDTA

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Carbomer

Polysorbate 80

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ubiquinone

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

CI 19140

Beeswax, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Allantoin, Retinol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sorbitan Stearate, Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Natto Gum, Polyquaternium-51, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Caprylic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lecithin, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Parfum, Benzophenone-9, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Carbomer, Polysorbate 80, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ubiquinone, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, CI 19140

Propanediol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Retinyl Acetate

Phenoxyethanol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Caprylyl Glycol

Phospholipids

Squalane

Glycine Soja Oil

Glycolipids

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Phytate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Glycine Soja Sterols

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Lactate

Tocopherol

Polysorbate 20

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Retinyl Acetate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phospholipids, Squalane, Glycine Soja Oil, Carbomer, Polysorbate 60, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycolipids, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Tocopherol, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

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.

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.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This 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.

Note: 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.

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.

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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