Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

The INKEY List Brighten-I Eye Cream Versus Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Circle Eye Cream

The INKEY List Brighten-I Eye Cream Versus Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Circle Eye Cream This eye moisturizer is formulated around Punica Granatum Seed Oil to hydrate skin. This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Arbutin to

The INKEY List Brighten-I Eye Cream Versus Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Circle Eye Cream

This eye moisturizer is formulated around Punica Granatum Seed Oil to hydrate skin.

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Arbutin to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glyceryl Stearate

Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Mica

Phenoxyethanol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Benzyl Alcohol

Polysilicone-11

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Gluconate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Silica

Dehydroacetic Acid

Diglucosyl Gallic Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Trihydroxystearin

Tin Oxide

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glucomannan

CI 77891

Water, Dimethicone, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Polysilicone-11, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Dehydroacetic Acid, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Trihydroxystearin, Tin Oxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucomannan, CI 77891

Citrus Tangerina Extract

Butylene Glycol

Propanediol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Pentylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Arbutin

1,2-Hexanediol

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Diisostearyl Malate

Vinyldimethicone

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Diglycerin

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Glucose

Dimethiconol

Tromethamine

Fructooligosaccharides

Fructose

Glucosyl Hesperidin

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Allantoin

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Adenosine

Tocopherol

Disodium EDTA

Citrus Tangerina Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Water, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Arbutin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Diisostearyl Malate, Vinyldimethicone, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Diglycerin, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Glucose, Dimethiconol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tromethamine, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Adenosine, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA

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.

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.

As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.

It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.

A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.

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.

Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.

As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.

Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.

This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.

You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.

Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.

An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.

So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.

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

Ingredients Side-by-side

  1. 01Water
  2. 02Glycerin
  3. 03Glyceryl Stearate Se
  4. 04Cetearyl Alcohol
  5. 05Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
  6. 06Cocos Nucifera Oil
  7. 07Stearic Acid
  8. 08Phenoxyethanol
  9. 09Benzyl Alcohol
  10. 10Carbomer
  11. 11Sodium Hydroxide
  12. 12Niacinamide
  13. 13Panthenol
  14. 14Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
  15. 15Sodium Hyaluronate
  16. 16Tocopheryl Acetate
  17. 17Ethylhexylglycerin
  18. 18Dehydroacetic Acid
  19. 19Lecithin
  20. 20Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

The Inkey List PHA Toner

The Inkey List PHA Toner The Inkey List PHA Toner ingredients explained: Water (Aqua/Eau), Propanediol, Gluconolactone, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice,…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →

Product

The Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream

The Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream The Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream ingredients explained: Aqua (Water/Eau), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Distearat…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →

Product

The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid

The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid ingredients explained: Aqua (Water), Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxa…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side