Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum Versus Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Cleansing Butter

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum Versus Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Cleansing Butter

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Bifida Ferment Lysate

PEG-8

Propanediol

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Methyl Gluceth-20

Glycereth-26

PEG-75

Butylene Glycol

Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract

Tripeptide-32

Sodium Hyaluronate

Faex Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment

Cola Acuminata Seed Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Hydrolyzed Algin

Pantethine

Caffeine

Lecithin

Sodium Rna

Bisabolol

Squalane

Glycerin

Oleth-3 Phosphate

Caprylyl Glycol

Oleth-3

Oleth-5

Choleth-24

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters

Ceteth-24

Tocopheryl Acetate

Carbomer

Triethanolamine

Tetrasodium EDTA

BHT

Xanthan Gum

Potassium Sorbate

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

CI 14700

CI 19140

Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, PEG-8, Propanediol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycereth-26, PEG-75, Butylene Glycol, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Tripeptide-32, Sodium Hyaluronate, Faex Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, Pantethine, Caffeine, Lecithin, Sodium Rna, Bisabolol, Squalane, Glycerin, Oleth-3 Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Oleth-3, Oleth-5, Choleth-24, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters, Ceteth-24, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700, CI 19140

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Polysorbate 80

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil

Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment

Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate

Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate

Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil

Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment

Sodium Hydroxide

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Beta-Carotene

Capsanthin/Capsorubin

Tocopherol

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

1,2-Hexanediol

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Ascorbic Acid

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Water, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polysorbate 80, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Beta-Carotene, Capsanthin/Capsorubin, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ascorbic Acid

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.

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.

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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