Youth To The People Peptides + C Energy Eye Concentrate Versus Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel

Youth To The People Peptides + C Energy Eye Concentrate Versus Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Caffeine to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Propanediol

Glycerin

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Citrus Junos Seed Oil

Panthenol

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract

Ilex Guayusa Leaf Extract

Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract

Jania Rubens Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment

Maltodextrin

Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract

Momordica Cochinchinensis Seed Extract

Punica Granatum Seed Extract

Sodium Carrageenan

Adenosine

Biotin

Caffeine

Caprylyl Glycol

Chrysin

Dipeptide-2

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Hydroxyacetophenone

N-Hydroxysuccinimide

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hydroxide

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Tocopherol

Alcohol

Cellulose

CI 77891

Citric Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Lecithin

Sodium Acetate

Sodium Citrate

Steareth-20

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Tin Oxide

Xanthan Gum

Chlorhexidine Digluconate

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Citrus Junos Seed Oil, Panthenol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Ilex Guayusa Leaf Extract, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Jania Rubens Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Maltodextrin, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Momordica Cochinchinensis Seed Extract, Punica Granatum Seed Extract, Sodium Carrageenan, Adenosine, Biotin, Caffeine, Caprylyl Glycol, Chrysin, Dipeptide-2, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Hydroxyacetophenone, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Alcohol, Cellulose, CI 77891, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lecithin, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Citrate, Steareth-20, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Xanthan Gum, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Corn Starch Modified

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Allantoin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5

Cichorium Intybus Root Extract

Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Corn Starch Modified, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Adenosine, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Caffeine, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract

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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.

As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.

Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.

You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.

Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.

Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.

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.

Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract is a fragrance.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

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.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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