La Roche-Posay Substiane Versus Biologique Recherche Crème MSR-H Anti-Ageing Face Cream

La Roche-Posay Substiane Versus Biologique Recherche Crème MSR-H Anti-Ageing Face Cream

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This moisturizer is formulated around Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil and Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract to hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cyclohexasiloxane

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Isohexadecane

Zea Mays Starch

Silica

Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol

Beeswax

Stearic Acid

Dimethicone

Palmitic Acid

PEG-100 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Propylene Glycol

PEG-20 Stearate

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Stearyl Alcohol

Dimethiconol

Arginine PCA

Serine

Disodium EDTA

Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Polysorbate 80

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Sodium Benzoate

Phenoxyethanol

Benzoic Acid

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclohexasiloxane, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Isohexadecane, Zea Mays Starch, Silica, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, PEG-20 Stearate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol, Arginine PCA, Serine, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Parfum

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Octyldodecanol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Isononanoate

Isocetyl Stearate

Vegetable Oil

Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract

Perfluorodecalin

Ceteareth-20

Sorbitan Stearate

Methylpropanediol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Cera Alba

Cetyl Palmitate

Cocoglycerides

Carbomer

Glycine Soja Extract

Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Poloxamer 188

Triethanolamine

Tocopherol

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Sodium Levulinate

Glyceryl Caprylate

Sodium Anisate

Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Isocetyl Stearate, Vegetable Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract, Perfluorodecalin, Ceteareth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylpropanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cera Alba, Cetyl Palmitate, Cocoglycerides, Carbomer, Glycine Soja Extract, Parfum, Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Poloxamer 188, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Anisate

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

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.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

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.

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.

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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