Aveeno Face Calm and Restore Re-Hydrating Night Cream Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Aveeno Face Calm and Restore Re-Hydrating Night Cream Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Avena Sativa Kernel Flour and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Isopropyl Palmitate

Glycerin

Cetyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Avena Sativa Kernel Flour

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice

Caprylyl Glycol

Copper Gluconate

Tropolone

1,2-Hexanediol

Magnesium Aspartate

Zinc Gluconate

Pentylene Glycol

Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides

Sodium Polyacrylate

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Carbomer

Sodium Hydroxide

Citric Acid

Sodium Metabisulfite

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice, Caprylyl Glycol, Copper Gluconate, Tropolone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Sodium Polyacrylate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Niacinamide 10%

Zinc PCA 1%

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum

Xanthan Gum

Isoceteth-20

Ethoxydiglycol

Chlorphenesin

Water, Niacinamide 10%, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA 1%, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

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.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

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.

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