Educational guide
Dior One Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum Versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II
Dior One Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum Versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II This anti-aging serum is formulated around Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles. This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Bifida F
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Dior One Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum Versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles.
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate to strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
Caprylic/Capric/Succinic Triglyceride
Alcohol
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Maltitol
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Phenoxyethanol
PEG-32
PEG-8
Decyloxazolidinone
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Parfum
Malva Sylvestris Extract
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Faex
Sodium Hydroxide
Lecithin
Squalane
Pyrus Cydonia Seed Extract
Alcaligenes Polysaccharides
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Adenosine
Xanthan Gum
Sorbitol
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Sodium Metabisulfite
Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
Algin
Aframomum Angustifolium Seed Extract
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Limonene
Haberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract
Benzyl Alcohol
Citric Acid
Cellulose Gum
Ethylhexylglycerin
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Geraniol
Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract
Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract
Dehydroacetic Acid
BHT
Tocopherol
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric/Succinic Triglyceride, Alcohol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Maltitol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-32, PEG-8, Decyloxazolidinone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Parfum, Malva Sylvestris Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Faex, Sodium Hydroxide, Lecithin, Squalane, Pyrus Cydonia Seed Extract, Alcaligenes Polysaccharides, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Algin, Aframomum Angustifolium Seed Extract, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Limonene, Haberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Cellulose Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, BHT, Tocopherol
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Methyl Gluceth-20
PEG-75
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
Propanediol
Cola Acuminata Seed Extract
Hydrolyzed Algin
Pantethine
Caffeine
Tripeptide-32
Sodium Rna
Bisabolol
Glycereth-26
Sodium Hyaluronate
Oleth-3 Phosphate
Caprylyl Glycol
Lactobacillus Ferment
Oleth-3
Oleth-5
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Faex Extract
Choleth-24
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Ceteth-24
Tocopheryl Acetate
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
Hexylene Glycol
Carbomer
Triethanolamine
Trisodium EDTA
CI 14700
CI 19140
Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-75, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, Pantethine, Caffeine, Lecithin, Tripeptide-32, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Rna, Bisabolol, Glycereth-26, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oleth-3 Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Oleth-3, Oleth-5, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Faex Extract, Choleth-24, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceteth-24, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Hexylene Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Trisodium EDTA, BHT, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700, CI 19140
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Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
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.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
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.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
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!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.