Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barrier Versus Nø Cosmetics Ultimate Vitamin A Cream

Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barrier Versus Nø Cosmetics Ultimate Vitamin A Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Bisabolol to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Retinal to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Squalane

Glycerin

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Butylene Glycol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Saccharide Isomerate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Bisabolol

Allantoin

Ceramide Ng

Squalene

Phytosteryl Macadamiate

Phytosterols

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Ceramide Ng, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Propylene Glycol

Oryza Sativa Starch

Undecane

Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate

Pentylene Glycol

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Panthenol

Tridecane

Diglycerin

Magnesium Stearate

Magnesium Sulfate

Stearalkonium Hectorite

Plankton Extract

Oleic Acid

Propylene Carbonate

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Arginine

Proline

Sorbitol

Glycine

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Bis(Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate

Lecithin

Acetyl Glutamine

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-9

Sh-Polypeptide-11

Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Caprylyl Glycol

Glycine Soja Oil

Propanediol

Retinol

Cetyl Palmitate

Sorbitan Stearate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate

Cellulose

Retinal

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Starch, Undecane, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Panthenol, Tridecane, Diglycerin, Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Plankton Extract, Oleic Acid, Propylene Carbonate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Arginine, Proline, Sorbitol, Glycine, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Bis(Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate, Lecithin, Acetyl Glutamine, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Oil, Propanediol, Retinol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Stearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate, Cellulose, Retinal, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide

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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.

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.

Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.

Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.

Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.

Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).

Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.

Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.

Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

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.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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