ULTA Bright Eyed Cooling Eye Balm
Works for
1 of 1 advertised claim delivered
Moisturizing12 ingredients credited for this claimStrong support
“Ulta's Bright Eyed Cooling Eye Balm is infused with aloe and green tea to help de-puff and moisturize tired eyes.”
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin, butylene glycol.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: palmitoyl tripeptide-1, cetearyl alcohol.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: palmitoyl tripeptide-1, panthenol
Anti-agingNot advertised by the brand · 3 ingredients credited for this claimModerate support
This product contains palmitoyl tripeptide-1. This ingredient might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness, but there is not enough evidence that it actually works.
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy2 strong irritants: Menthyl lactate, ParfumMedium risk
Comedogenic2 ingredients rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale2 flagged
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Ingredients
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Water~45–55%
Butylene glycol~6.4–7.8%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Butylene glycolSodium stearate~5.1–6.2%
Polyglyceryl-10 caprylate/caprate~2.8–3.5%
Dibutyl lauroyl glutamide~2.3–2.9%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps improve the product texture and soften the upper layer of the skin
More about Dibutyl lauroyl glutamideMenthyl lactate~1.9–2.3%
Glyceryl caprylate~1.6–2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An emollient that can also help water and oil mix together, as well as prevent bacteria growth in products
More about Glyceryl caprylatePhenoxyethanol~0.5–1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
More about PhenoxyethanolCetearyl alcohol~1.2–1.5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
- Comedogenicity
- 2/5
A non-drying alcohol. Works as an emollient. Helps water and oil mix together and creates a nice product texture
More about Cetearyl alcoholSodium lauroyl glutamate~0.9–1.1%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Used as a cleansing agent. It creates foam
More about Sodium lauroyl glutamateStearic acid~0.75–1.15%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps oil and water mix together and works as an emollient
More about Stearic acidCetearyl olivate~0.55–0.85%
Sorbitan olivate~0.5–0.75%
Xanthan gum~0.45–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a thicker product consistency
More about Xanthan gumLauroyl glutamic acid~0.4–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Hydroxyacetophenone~0.4–0.65%
Parfum~0.35–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- High
An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients
More about ParfumPolyglycerin-10~0.3–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Panthenol~0.3–0.55%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and can help improve skin barrier function
More about PanthenolCaprylic/capric triglyceride~0.35–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin
More about Caprylic/capric triglycerideSea salt~0.25–0.5%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Used to thicken the product formulation and might help to add minerals to the surface of the skin. It is used in scrubs as a physical exfoliant. Can increase sensitivity to other ingredients if left on the skin or used in high concentration
More about Sea saltPentaerythrityl tetraisostearate~0.3–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Used to create a thicker product consistency
More about Pentaerythrityl tetraisostearateAloe barbadensis leaf juice~0.25–0.4%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Traditionally used to treat sunburns, dermatitis and inflammation, but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The extract can contain humectants that help attract water into the skin
More about Aloe barbadensis leaf juiceCamellia sinensis leaf extract~0.25–0.45%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
More about Camellia sinensis leaf extractBlue 1 lake~0.2–0.4%
Ci 42090~0.2–0.35%
Ci 19140~0.15–0.3%
Laminaria ochroleuca extract~0.15–0.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Laminaria ochroleuca extractGlycerin~0.15–0.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinPropylene carbonate~0.15–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Is used to dissolve other ingredients and create nice product texture
More about Propylene carbonateStearalkonium hectorite~0.1–0.15%
Palmitoyl tripeptide-1~0.1–0.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of peptide. Peptides are excellent moisturizers and might be able support collagen production reducing fine lines and wrinkles
More about Palmitoyl tripeptide-1Ingredient list view
Water, Butylene glycol, Sodium stearate, Polyglyceryl-10 caprylate/caprate, Dibutyl lauroyl glutamide, Menthyl lactate, Glyceryl caprylate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl alcohol, Sodium lauroyl glutamate, Stearic acid, Cetearyl olivate, Sorbitan olivate, Xanthan gum, Lauroyl glutamic acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Parfum, Polyglycerin-10, Panthenol, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Sea salt, Pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Blue 1 lake, Ci 42090, Ci 19140, Laminaria ochroleuca extract, Glycerin, Propylene carbonate, Stearalkonium hectorite, Palmitoyl tripeptide-1
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| ULTABright Eyed Cooling Eye BalmYOUR PRODUCT | Perricone MDHypoallergenic Firming Eye Cream | NEOSTRATAEnlighten Brightening Eye Cream | StriVectinAnti-Wrinkle Intensive Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 55% | 52% | 52% |
| Price | $6.00 | $18.00+$12.00 | $34.36+$28.36 | $15.00+$9.00 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 3 of 6 | 4 of 6 | 4 of 6 |
| Key difference | — | Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 | Lactobionic Acid | Dipeptide-2 |
| Irritancy | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
Product summary
Judging from the ingredient list, "ULTA - Bright Eyed Cooling Eye Balm" works well for improving skin hydration This moisturizer uses a good combo of humectants and emollients. These both types of ingredients are essentials for improving the skin hydration and keeping the skin barrier healthy. Humectants in this product (panthenol, glycerin and butylene glycol) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Palmitoyl tripeptide-1, cetearyl alcohol and glyceryl caprylate in this product help decrease the water evoporation from the skin, so that it stays hydrated for longer. These ingredients also soften the skin and take away the feeling of tightness and dryness.
Ingredient callouts
- This moistruizer also contains peptides (palmitoyl tripeptide-1 0.10% - 0.20%). Peptides is a very big group of ingredients. They all consist of a different combination of amino-acids. Our skin produces peptides naturally. Some of them work as natural anti-biotics, promote wound-healing and production of collagen. The scientists are still studying how effective the topical application of peptides is, but it is very likely that peptides in skincare are helpful. They might be able to support skin barrier restoration and even have an anti-aging benefit. At the very least, they certainly help attract water to the skin and support the hydration in this way.
Irritation risk
This moisturizer contains some common irritants, including those without a benefit for the skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be medium. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 5 studies and safety reviews.
- 1Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulationspdfs.semanticscholar.org
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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