Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Micro Serum

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Micro Serum

This hydrating essence is formulated around Camellia Japonica Seed Oil and Gluconolactone to hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Glycerin

Isononyl Isononanoate

Alcaligenes Polysaccharides

Amodimethicone

Calanthe Discolor Extract

Calcium Gluconate

Camellia Japonica Seed Oil

Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Carbomer

Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer

Disodium EDTA

Gluconolactone

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Maltodextrin

Maris Sal

Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Sodium Carrageenan

Sodium Hydroxide

Tocopherol

Xanthan Gum

Chlorphenesin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Alcaligenes Polysaccharides, Amodimethicone, Calanthe Discolor Extract, Calcium Gluconate, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Gluconolactone, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Maltodextrin, Maris Sal, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Carrageenan, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Parfum

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Rose Extract

Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract

Mica

Phenethyl Alcohol

CI 77891

Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract

CI 77491

Collagen Amino Acids

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract

Tin Oxide

Benzyl Salicylate

Citronellol

Geraniol

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Isononyl Isononanoate, Pentylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Rose Extract, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Mica, Phenethyl Alcohol, CI 77891, Sodium Carrageenan, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, CI 77491, Collagen Amino Acids, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Maris Sal, Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract, Tocopherol, Tin Oxide, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol

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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.

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%.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer is an oil and isn't fungal acne safe.

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.

Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.

Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.

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.

Isononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.

As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.

Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil is from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. It is a skin conditioning agent and emollient that sits on top of skin to soften and hydrate it.

Over 98% of the oil is made up of long-chain fatty acids, mostly aachidic acid (61%), docosenoic acid (~16%), and docosadienoic acid (~18%).

This combination is not really found in any other plant oil and is the reason this is one of the most stable botanical oils available.

Some studies show it to be more stable than jojoba oil, helps a product resist going rancid, and can help extend the shelf life of a formula.

It also naturally contains vitamin E and phytosterols that give it a mild antioxidant benefit.

This ingredient is typically used from around 1% to fairly high levels since it's gentle; it's well-tolerated and low on the irritation scale.

We don't have a description for Maris Sal yet.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

We don't have a description for Sodium Carrageenan yet.

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.

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!

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