Dot & Key Skincare Retinol + Ceramide Night Cream Versus Dot & Key Skincare Pomegranate + Multi-Peptide Anti Ageing Moisturizer SPF 30

Dot & Key Skincare Retinol + Ceramide Night Cream Versus Dot & Key Skincare Pomegranate + Multi-Peptide Anti Ageing Moisturizer SPF 30

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Retinyl Palmitate and Ceramide NP to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 and Punica Granatum Seed Oil to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Dicaprylyl Ether

Dimethicone

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Polyacrylamide

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Laureth-7

Methylsilanol Mannuronate

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Silanetriol

Hyaluronic Acid

Retinyl Palmitate

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil

Oenothera Biennis Oil

Milk Lipids

Ceramide NP

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Panthenol

Allantoin

Disodium EDTA

CI 16185

CI 15985

CI 42090

Water, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silanetriol, Hyaluronic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Milk Lipids, Ceramide NP, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, CI 16185, CI 15985, CI 42090

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Cyclopentasiloxane

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Cetyl Alcohol

Octocrylene

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

Benzyl Alcohol

Tocopherol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters

Squalene

Phytosteryl Macadamiate

Phytosterols

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Titanium Dioxide

Silica

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide As

Ceramide AP

Niacinamide

Triethanolamine

Parfum

Sodium Hyaluronate

CI 45430

Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Cetyl Alcohol, Octocrylene, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Silica, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Niacinamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, CI 45430

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.

As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.

It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.

A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.

C13-14 Isoparaffin is a synthetic emollient, solvent, and thickening agent. It helps soften skin and improves spreadability without leaving a greasy residue.

This ingredient has been found to be non-sensitizing and safe for use in cosmetics.

Two things floating around online that cause fear-mongering:

There's one scary-sounding study related to kidney tumors in male rats; this depends on a protein called alpha-2u-globulin that binds the ingredient and clogs up kidney cells. Female rats barely make this protein, and humans don't make it at all so this effect cannot happen to us. Regulatory bodies have states this rat-only pathway shouldn't be used to judge human risk.

The other thing you'll see is 1,4-dioxane being a trace byproduct that can form during manufacturing of petroleum-derived ingredients. This is a real, but heavily managed/monitored issue. This byproduct is removed through purification steps before the ingredients goes into the formula. Regulatory bodies also actively monitor residual levels for safety.

One last thing to note: this ingredient is a pure hydrocarbon with no fatty-acid or ester chains for Malassezia to feed on, so it's considered fungal acne safe.

Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.

Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.

This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.

A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.

Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.

Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.

Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.

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%.

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.

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.

Laureth-7 is created by the ethoxylation of lauryl alcohol using ethylene oxide. Lauryl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with hydrating properties.

This ingredient is an emulsifier and cleansing ingredient. As an emulsifier, it is used to prevent ingredients from separating. It also helps cleanse the skin by gathering dirt, oil, and pollutants to be rinsed away.

Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer. It is used to stabilize products and bind ingredients. When hydrated, Polyacrylamide forms a soft gel.

Polyacrylamide is low-toxicity. If source properly, it is deemed safe to use in cosmetics.

It should be noted the precursor to Polyacrylamide is acrylamide. Acrylamide is a carcinogen. Most reputable sources of Polyacrylamide will screen for residual acrylamide to make sure the count is in a safe range. Acrylamide is not able to be absorbed through the skin.

We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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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