Perricone MD Hypoallergenic Firming Eye Cream Versus Biologique Recherche Creme Contour Yeux Et Levres Biofixine

Perricone MD Hypoallergenic Firming Eye Cream Versus Biologique Recherche Creme Contour Yeux Et Levres Biofixine

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Acetyl Octapeptide-3 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Squalane and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Cetyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Squalane

Dimethicone

Ethoxydiglycol

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Panthenol

Ectoin

Xanthan Gum

Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides

Allantoin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Olea Europaea Leaf Extract

Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocotrienols

Tocopherol

N-Hydroxysuccinimide

Chrysin

PEG-75 Stearate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Steareth-20

Ceteth-20

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Dimethicone, Ethoxydiglycol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Panthenol, Ectoin, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, PEG-75 Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Steareth-20, Ceteth-20, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Phenoxyethanol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Propanediol Dicaprylate

Propanediol

Xylitylglucoside

Anhydroxylitol

Xylitol

Nasturtium Officinale Extract

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Rhizobian Gum

Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Methylpropanediol

Triethanolamine

Hydrolyzed Manihot Esculenta Tuber Extract

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Carbomer

Sodium Lactate

Polysorbate 20

Chlorphenesin

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol Dicaprylate, Squalane, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Rhizobian Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, PEG-75 Stearate, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Hydrolyzed Manihot Esculenta Tuber Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 20, Chlorphenesin

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.

This ingredient is a surfactant and emulsifier. It is used to mix water and oil, stabilize emulsions, and aid in cleansing.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

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.

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (formerly Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3) is a synthetic peptide. Its main job is to fight what researchers call "inflammaging".

"Inflammaging" is the slow, low-grade chronic inflammation that quietly breaks down collagen as we age.

This ingredient calms down a specific inflammation signal in your skin cells (called IL-6). When left unchecked, this signal triggers enzymes that break down collagen and elastin.

Clinical testing showed statistically significant improvements in:

Studies also found the more of this ingredient used, the more your skin produces Collagen I, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.

You'll likely see this ingredient paired with Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 in the well-known Matrixyl 3000 complex for enhanced anti-aging effects.

A 3% concentration applied twice daily for two months showed meaningful skin rejuvenation results in clinical panels.

Fungal acne note: Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.

PEG-75 Stearate isn't fungal acne safe.

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 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.

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.

Steareth-20 is an emulsifier and solubilizer. It is created from stearyl alcohol with ~20 units of ethylene oxide to give it a strong preference for water.

As an emulsifier, it helps oil-in-water emulsions like lotions, creams, and cleansers stay stable. It also solubilizes small amounts of oil-loving ingredients (like fragrance) into water-based formulas.

You'll likely find this ingredient with steareth-2 (it's oil-loving sister) where the two work together to give products a cushiony feel.

Typical use levels sit at around 1-5% and this ingredient has been found to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel.

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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