Pacifica Vegan Collagen Recovery Eye Cream Versus Botanics Simply Calm Hydrating Overnight Mask for Stressed Skin

Pacifica Vegan Collagen Recovery Eye Cream Versus Botanics Simply Calm Hydrating Overnight Mask for Stressed Skin

This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Caffeine and Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract to strengthen the skin barrier.

This hydrating overnight mask is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to hydrate skin and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cetearyl Olivate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glycerin

Sorbitan Olivate

Glyceryl Caprylate

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Hydrolyzed Brassica Napus Seedcake Extract

Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract

Arnica Montana Flower Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Caffeine

Allantoin

Panthenol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopherol

Quartz

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil

Arginine

Bentonite

Coconut Alkanes

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Cetyl Esters

Stearic Acid

Cetearyl Glucoside

Xanthan Gum

Maltodextrin

Glucose

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Brassica Napus Seedcake Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Caffeine, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Quartz, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Arginine, Bentonite, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetyl Esters, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil

Cetyl Alcohol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Euphorbia Cerifera Wax

Dicaprylyl Ether

Persea Gratissima Oil

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Citric Acid

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Sodium Phytate

Limonene

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil

Hyssopus Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil

Linalool

Hydroxycitronellal

Citrus Tangerina Peel Extract

Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract

Rose Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract

Impatiens Balsamina Flower Extract

Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract

Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract

Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract

Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Eugenol

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sorbitan Olivate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Dicaprylyl Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Phytate, Limonene, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Hyssopus Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Citrus Tangerina Peel Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Rose Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Impatiens Balsamina Flower Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Eugenol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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%.

Cetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.

Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.

Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.

Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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.

Sorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.

This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.

This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.

According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.

Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.

Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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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