SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic With 15% L-Ascorbic Acid Versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Intense Reset Concentrate

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic With 15% L-Ascorbic Acid Versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Intense Reset Concentrate

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

This calming serum is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Resveratrol to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ethoxydiglycol

Ascorbic Acid

Glycerin

Propylene Glycol

Laureth-23

Phenoxyethanol

Tocopherol

Triethanolamine

Ferulic Acid

Panthenol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Water, Ethoxydiglycol, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Laureth-23, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Triethanolamine, Ferulic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate

Dimethicone

Methyl Trimethicone

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Butylene Glycol

Isopropyl Isostearate

PPG-15 Stearyl Ether

PEG-10 Dimethicone

Faex Extract

Tripeptide-32

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Algin

Lactobacillus Ferment

Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract

Soy Amino Acids

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Resveratrol

Algae Extract

Salicylic Acid

Ergothioneine

Tocopheryl Acetate

Whey Protein

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Caffeine

Sodium PCA

Propylene Glycol Caprylate

Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Isohexadecane

Polysilicone-11

Methyldihydrojasmonate

Sodium Lactate

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Isododecane

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Squalane

Polyethylene

Propylene Carbonate

Pentylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

BHT

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Linalool

CI 14700

CI 19140

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Butylene Glycol, Isopropyl Isostearate, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Faex Extract, Tripeptide-32, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Algin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Soy Amino Acids, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Resveratrol, Algae Extract, Salicylic Acid, Ergothioneine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Whey Protein, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Sodium PCA, Propylene Glycol Caprylate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Isohexadecane, Polysilicone-11, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Sodium Lactate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Isododecane, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Squalane, Polyethylene, Propylene Carbonate, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, CI 14700, CI 19140

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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.

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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