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!