Clinique Smart Night™ Custom-Repair Moisturizer Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream

Clinique Smart Night™ Custom-Repair Moisturizer Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

Petrolatum

Glycerin

Hexyldecyl Stearate

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Glycereth-26

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Centaurium Erythraea Extract

Algae Extract

Micrococcus Lysate

Glycine Soja Protein

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Faex Extract

Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment

Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract

Caffeine

Biotin

Ergothioneine

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Soy Amino Acids

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter

Tocopheryl Acetate

Whey Protein

Cetearyl Glucoside

Isohexadecane

Caprylyl Glycol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Acetyl Glucosamine

Sodium Hyaluronate

Myristyl Alcohol

Tromethamine

Polysorbate 80

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Citric Acid

Hexylene Glycol

Lecithin

Sodium Benzoate

Calcium Chloride

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Citrate

Potassium Sorbate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Hexyldecyl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycereth-26, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centaurium Erythraea Extract, Algae Extract, Micrococcus Lysate, Glycine Soja Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Faex Extract, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Caffeine, Biotin, Ergothioneine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Soy Amino Acids, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Whey Protein, Cetearyl Glucoside, Isohexadecane, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Acetyl Glucosamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Myristyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Citric Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Isononyl Isononanoate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Lauryl Laurate

Ethyl Macadamiate

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Cetyl Alcohol

Sodium Polyacrylate

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Oryza Sativa Starch

Parfum

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Chlorphenesin

Sesamum Indicum Oil Unsaponifiables

Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil Unsaponifiables

Persea Gratissima Oil

Phytosterols

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Citronellol

Linalool

Collagen Amino Acids

Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract

Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract

Mannitol

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Tocopherol

Sorbitan Oleate

Geraniol

Limonene

Hydroxycitronellal

Malic Acid

Diatomaceous Earth

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Sodium Hydroxide

Zinc Sulfate

Hexapeptide-9

Water, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lauryl Laurate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Starch, Parfum, Butylene Glycol, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Chlorphenesin, Sesamum Indicum Oil Unsaponifiables, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil Unsaponifiables, Persea Gratissima Oil, Phytosterols, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Citronellol, Linalool, Collagen Amino Acids, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Mannitol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Oleate, Geraniol, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Diatomaceous Earth, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Hydroxide, Zinc Sulfate, Hexapeptide-9

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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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