Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer Versus Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Cream

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer Versus Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Cream

This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Squalane

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Isoamyl Laurate

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Lactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract

Tocopherol

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Rosa Damascena Flower Extract

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Cetyl Alcohol

Acacia Senegal Gum

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phytic Acid

Sodium Gluconate

Phenoxyethanol

Citric Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Citronellol

CI 77491

Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isoamyl Laurate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Lactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Cetyl Alcohol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phytic Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Citronellol, CI 77491

Isostearyl Neopentanoate

Butylene Glycol

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Algae Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract

Whey Protein

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Acetyl Glucosamine

Caffeine

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Cetearyl Glucoside

Tocopheryl Acetate

Isohexadecane

Petrolatum

Caprylyl Glycol

Glycereth-26

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tromethamine

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

PEG-8

Polysorbate 20

Hexylene Glycol

Polysorbate 80

Carbomer

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Sorbitan Oleate

Sodium Citrate

Disodium EDTA

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Glycerin, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Algae Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Whey Protein, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Caffeine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isohexadecane, Petrolatum, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycereth-26, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, PEG-8, Polysorbate 20, Hexylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Carbomer, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Sorbitan Oleate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

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!

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