Kate Somerville +Retinol Firming Eye Cream Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment

Kate Somerville +Retinol Firming Eye Cream Versus Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Propanediol

Glycerin

Polysilicone-11

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Butylene Glycol

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Ethyl Linoleate

Lauryl Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Retinol

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate

Bidens Pilosa Extract

Bakuchiol

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract

Glycine Soja Extract

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil

Adenosine

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Tocopherol

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Polyacrylamide

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate

PEG-12 Dimethicone

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Caprylyl Glycol

Decyl Glucoside

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Hexylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Aminomethyl Propanol

Laureth-7

Xanthan Gum

Disodium EDTA

Water, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, Polysilicone-11, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Butylene Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Ethyl Linoleate, Lauryl Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Retinol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Bakuchiol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Extract, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Adenosine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylyl Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aminomethyl Propanol, Laureth-7, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA

Propylene Glycol

Oryza Sativa Hull Powder

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Sclerotium Gum

Diazolidinyl Urea

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

Potassium Sorbate

Arginine

Aspartic Acid

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

PCA

Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract

Glycine

Alanine

Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract

Serine

Valine

Linalool

Caramel

Threonine

Isoleucine

Proline

Parfum

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Lavandula Hybrida Oil

Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract

Histidine

Phenylalanine

Sodium Hydroxide

Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract

Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa Hull Powder, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sclerotium Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium PCA, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Sorbate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PCA, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Serine, Valine, Linalool, Caramel, Threonine, Isoleucine, Proline, Parfum, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Sodium Hydroxide, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.

It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.

Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.

Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.

Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.

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.

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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