Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Overnight Treatment Versus Sensai Cellular Performance Cream

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Overnight Treatment Versus Sensai Cellular Performance Cream

This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

Butylene Glycol

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetyl Alcohol

Glycerin

C9-12 Alkane

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

PEG-100 Stearate

Tripeptide-32

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Polyglutamate

Succinic Acid

Artemia Extract

Squalane

Lactobacillus Ferment

Tocopheryl Acetate

Caffeine

Algae Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract

Hydrolyzed Rice Extract

Faex Extract

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract

Sorbitol

Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Propylene Glycol Dicaprate

Maltodextrin

Steareth-21

Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3

Steareth-2

Hexylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glucose

BHT

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Potassium Sorbate

CI 19140

CI 14700

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, C9-12 Alkane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Tripeptide-32, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Succinic Acid, Artemia Extract, Squalane, Lactobacillus Ferment, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caffeine, Algae Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, Faex Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Sorbitol, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Maltodextrin, Steareth-21, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Steareth-2, Hexylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glucose, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Potassium Sorbate, CI 19140, CI 14700

Maltitol

Triethylhexanoin

Behenyl Alcohol

Sorbeth-6 Beeswax

Petrolatum

Polysorbate 65

Stearic Acid

Cetyl Palmitate

Niacinamide

Phytosteryl Macadamiate

Cera Alba

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Methylserine

Polysorbate 80

Ammonium Glycyrrhizate

Parfum

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Acetyl Glucosamine

Alcohol

Dimethoxy Di-P-Cresol

Limonene

Pyracantha Fortuneana Fruit Extract

Hexyl Cinnamal

Citronellol

Linalool

Hydrolyzed Silk

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Nasturtium Officinale Extract

Geraniol

Benzyl Benzoate

Zostera Marina Extract

Tocopherol

Dioscorea Panthaica Root Extract

CI 47005

Phenethyl Alcohol

Triethyl Citrate

Water, Squalane, Maltitol, Triethylhexanoin, Butylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbeth-6 Beeswax, Petrolatum, Polysorbate 65, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Palmitate, Niacinamide, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Cera Alba, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylserine, Polysorbate 80, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Dimethicone, Parfum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Glycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Dimethoxy Di-P-Cresol, Limonene, Pyracantha Fortuneana Fruit Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Linalool, Hydrolyzed Silk, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate, Zostera Marina Extract, Tocopherol, Dioscorea Panthaica Root Extract, BHT, CI 14700, CI 47005, Phenethyl Alcohol, Triethyl Citrate

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.

Ci 14700, also known as Red No. 4, is a synthetic red dye derived from petroleum. It is water soluble.

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%.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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.

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