Murad Retinal ReSculpt Eye Treatment Versus Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream

Murad Retinal ReSculpt Eye Treatment Versus Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream

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

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

C10-18 Triglycerides

Glycerin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Jojoba Esters

Glyceryl Stearates

Cetearyl Alcohol

Retinal

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Gentiana Lutea Root Extract

Tetrapeptide-1

Urea

Yeast Amino Acids

Trehalose

Inositol

Taurine

Betaine

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Hydroxyacetophenone

Tocopherol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Phosphatidylcholine

Mannitol

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Propanediol

Polyglycerin-3

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Chloride

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Citric Acid

Chlorphenesin

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C10-18 Triglycerides, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearates, Cetearyl Alcohol, Retinal, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Tetrapeptide-1, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Phosphatidylcholine, Mannitol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Polyglycerin-3, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Squalane

Sorbitan Olivate

Cetearyl Olivate

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Panthenol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Cetyl Palmitate

Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Sorbitan Palmitate

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Astaxanthin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Palmitate, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sorbitan Palmitate, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Astaxanthin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Citric Acid

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons