Educational guide
IDC Intensive Illuminating & Replenishing Cream Ultime Premium Eyes Versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Eye Gel-Cream
IDC Intensive Illuminating & Replenishing Cream Ultime Premium Eyes Versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Eye Gel-Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Bakuchiol and Caffeine to soften the look of wrinkles. This barrier-re
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IDC Intensive Illuminating & Replenishing Cream Ultime Premium Eyes Versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Eye Gel-Cream
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Bakuchiol and Caffeine to soften the look of wrinkles.
This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Caffeine to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Dimethicone
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Squalane
Cetearyl Alcohol
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Butylene Glycol
Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
Glyceryl Stearate
Jojoba Esters
Citrus Grandis Fruit Water
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Bakuchiol
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Caffeine
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Gleditsia Triacanthos Seed Extract
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Humulus Lupulus Oil
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Propanediol
Polysilicone-11
Bisabolol
Tocopheryl Acetate
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Salicylic Acid
Polyacrylamide
Palmitic Acid
Sodium Lactate
Creatine
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Caprylyl Glycol
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Teprenone
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Iris Florentina Root Extract
Polyglycerin-3
Andrographis Paniculata Leaf Extract
Laureth-7
Sodium PCA
Carbomer
Styrene Oxide
Decyl Glucoside
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Polysorbate 20
Hexylene Glycol
Citric Acid
Darutoside
Sodium Hydroxide
Benzyl Alcohol
Sorbic Acid
Sodium Benzoate
Phenoxyethanol
Potassium Sorbate
1,2-Hexanediol
Parfum
CI 77891
CI 77491
Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Butylene Glycol, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Glyceryl Stearate, Jojoba Esters, Citrus Grandis Fruit Water, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Bakuchiol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Caffeine, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Gleditsia Triacanthos Seed Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Humulus Lupulus Oil, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Propanediol, Polysilicone-11, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Salicylic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Creatine, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Teprenone, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Polyglycerin-3, Andrographis Paniculata Leaf Extract, Laureth-7, Sodium PCA, Carbomer, Styrene Oxide, Decyl Glucoside, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Polysorbate 20, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Darutoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum, CI 77891, CI 77491
Methyl Trimethicone
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Petrolatum
Sucrose
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Trehalose
Tripeptide-32
Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Lactobacillus Ferment
Faex Extract
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Sodium Rna
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Poria Cocos Sclerotium Extract
Ethylhexylglycerin
Phytosphingosine
Hydrolyzed Algin
Hordeum Distichon Extract
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Lecithin
Isohexadecane
Jojoba Alcohol
Isopropyl Jojobate
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Polysorbate 80
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Sorbitan Oleate
Polysorbate 40
Potassium Gluconate
Tocopherol
BHT
CI 77492
Water, Dimethicone, Methyl Trimethicone, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Propanediol, Petrolatum, Sucrose, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Trehalose, Tripeptide-32, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Tocopheryl Acetate, Faex Extract, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Sodium Rna, Caffeine, Squalane, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Poria Cocos Sclerotium Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium PCA, Phytosphingosine, Hydrolyzed Algin, Hordeum Distichon Extract, Jojoba Esters, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lecithin, Isohexadecane, Jojoba Alcohol, Isopropyl Jojobate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Polysorbate 80, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Sorbitan Oleate, Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 40, Potassium Gluconate, Tocopherol, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77491, CI 77492
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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.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Ci 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created Ci 77491 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract comes from the watermelon. Watermelon has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Watermelons are rich in antioxidants such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C and lycopene. It also contains sugars and amino acids, such as arginine and glutathione.
Lycopene is a potent antioxidant. Besides helping to protect your skin against free-radical molecules, it also helps soothe the skin. Lycopene gives watermelon the distinct red color.
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.
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.
Jojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.
This ingredient has high oxidative stability, meaning it doesn't break down when exposed to oxygen.
Its similarity to our skin's natural oils makes it a great emollient. Emollients help soften and soothe our skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, keeping skin hydrated.
It is created using either the hydrogenation or transesterification processes on jojoba oil.
We don't have a description for Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract yet.
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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract is extract from Apples. Apples are rich in Vitamin C, sugars, and antioxidants.
The sugar in Apples are humectants and help hydrate the skin. On top of that, apples also contain some acids, such as malic acid. These acids may have a mild exfoliating effect.
Last, the phytochemicals found in apples are strong antioxidants. These antioxidants help with anti-aging as they protect your skin cells against oxidative damage.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Sodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
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.
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!