Summer Fridays Rich Cushion Cream Ultra Plumping Moisturizer Versus Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Correcting Glycolic Night Cream

Summer Fridays Rich Cushion Cream Ultra Plumping Moisturizer Versus Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Correcting Glycolic Night Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil and Hyaluronic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This brightening night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract and Glycolic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Glycerin

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Glyceryl Stearate

Isopropyl Myristate

Cetyl Alcohol

Betaine

Hyaluronic Acid

Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Persea Gratissima Oil

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Squalane

Saccharide Isomerate

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Bisabolol

Allantoin

Centella Asiatica Extract

Salicornia Herbacea Extract

Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract

Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract

Resveratrol

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Panthenol

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glyceryl Laurate

Stearic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Citrate

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Glyceryl Caprylate

Potassium Sorbate

Citric Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Xanthan Gum

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Betaine, Hyaluronic Acid, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Squalane, Saccharide Isomerate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Resveratrol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Laurate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate

C9-12 Alkane

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Arachidyl Alcohol

1,2-Hexanediol

Algin

Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract

Glycolic Acid

Cetearyl Glucoside

Behenyl Alcohol

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Calcium Citrate

Arachidyl Glucoside

Sorbitan Olivate

Triethyl Citrate

Arginine

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Phytate

Papain

Carbomer

Parfum

Water, Squalane, Glycerin, C9-12 Alkane, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Arachidyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Algin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract, Glycolic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Calcium Citrate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Triethyl Citrate, Arginine, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Papain, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Parfum

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.

Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.

It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.

A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.

In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.

You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

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.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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