Touch Bright & Clear Cream Versus Conscious Chemist The Defender Peptide Retinol Night Cream

Touch Bright & Clear Cream Versus Conscious Chemist The Defender Peptide Retinol Night Cream

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

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Isopropyl Palmitate

Niacinamide

Propylene Glycol

Tranexamic Acid

Kojic Acid

Azelaic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Polysorbate 60

Cetyl Alcohol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Glycerin

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Ethylhexylglycerin

Disodium EDTA

Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Xanthan Gum

Steareth-100

Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, Kojic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 60, Cetyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Steareth-100

Isopropyl Myristate

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Sodium Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Lauryl Glucoside

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Alcohol

Glyceryl Oleate

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Allantoin

Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil

Retinol

BHA

Lecithin

Acetyl Glutamine

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-9

Sh-Polypeptide-11

Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Caprylyl Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Hexapeptide-11

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Bisabolol

Adansonia Digitata Oil

Caffeine

BHT

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Ubiquinone

Water, Propylene Glycol, Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Sodium Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Lauryl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Alcohol, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Allantoin, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, BHA, Lecithin, Acetyl Glutamine, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hexapeptide-11, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Adansonia Digitata Oil, Caffeine, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Ubiquinone

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

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.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.

As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.

The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.

True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).

It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.

Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.

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!

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