All scans / Eye creams / MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick
MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a highly ambitious retinoid-and-peptide eye balm that overpromises for its format and leans too heavy on occlusive, potentially pore-clogging emollients around a delicate area.
This is a highly ambitious retinoid-and-peptide eye balm that overpromises for its format and leans too heavy on occlusive, potentially pore-clogging emollients around a delicate area.
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Efficacy is driven mainly by the inclusion of true retinol plus supportive peptides and alpha-arbutin, but as a solid balm stick, these actives are likely present at low levels and may have limited penetration compared with well-formulated fluid eye serums; the strong wax/silicone base prioritizes texture and instant smoothing over deep, clinically-optimized anti-aging performance, and the presence of a weak retinyl palmitate alongside retinol suggests more marketing layering than maximized active concentration.
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DemythSkin rates MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick 3.8/5 for efficacy and 4.0/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (17)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Isononyl Isononanoate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Synthetic Candelilla Wax, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Beeswax, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Microcrystalline Wax, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyisobutene, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Isopropyl Myristate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronis Acid), Zinc Oxide, Water, Squalane, Ceramide NP, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Alpha-Arbutin, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, Retinyl Palmitate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Retinol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, BHT, Collagen, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Fullerenes, Sorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Oligopeptide-1
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Isononyl Isononanoate
- Light emollient, texture enhancer
- Tridecyl Trimellitate
- Emollient, provides slip
- Synthetic Candelilla Wax
- Wax, stick structure
- Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
- Emollient, improves spreadability
- Dimethicone
- Silicone emollient, slip agent
- Beeswax
- Wax, occlusive film former
- Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
- Silicone elastomer, blurring effect
- Microcrystalline Wax
- Wax, provides stick hardness
- Silica
- Absorbent, soft-focus effect
- Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
- Silicone gel, texture modifier
- Polyisobutene
- Film former, emollient
- Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
- Emollient, balm-like texture
- Isopropyl Myristate
- Rich emollient, slip enhancer
- Tocopheryl Acetate
- Vitamin E derivative, antioxidant
- Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronis Acid)
- Humectant, water-binding agent
- Zinc Oxide
- Pigment / opacifier in this formula — not acting as a UV filter.
- Water
- Solvent for hydrophilic ingredients
- Squalane
- Light emollient, barrier support
- Ceramide NP
- Barrier lipid, supports skin barrier
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
- Signal peptide, anti-aging support
- Alpha-Arbutin
- Brightening agent, melanin regulation
- Panthenol (Vitamin B5)
- Humectant, soothing agent
- Butylene Glycol
- Humectant, penetration enhancer
- Lecithin
- Emulsifying and delivery aid
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Retinol: Kafi et al., Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(5):606-612 – facial retinol application improved fine wrinkles and photoaging signs compared with vehicle.
Alpha-Arbutin: Maeda & Fukuda, J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1996;277(3):1527-1533 – arbutin inhibits melanin synthesis via tyrosinase inhibition.
Ceramide NP: Koppes et al., Int J Cosmet Sci. 2018;40(1):1-10 – topical ceramide mixtures support barrier repair and improve dryness.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper eye cream that scores as high or higher
A different formula for the same concern (anti-aging) that scores at least as high on both efficacy and safety.
MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick: common questions
Is MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick worth it?
MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick scores 3.8 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Modest) and 4.0 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a highly ambitious retinoid-and-peptide eye balm that overpromises for its format and leans too heavy on occlusive, potentially pore-clogging emollients around a delicate area.
What are the key active ingredients in MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick?
MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Retinol.
Does MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick. It scores 4.0 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is MAREE Hydrating Under Eye Balm Stick scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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