Advanced Clinicals Collagen Lotion + Peptide Cream Versus Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Cream

Advanced Clinicals Collagen Lotion + Peptide Cream Versus Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Cream

This hydrating body lotion is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Palmitoyl Oligopeptide to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

This brightening body lotion is formulated around Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Cetyl Alcohol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

C13-15 Alkane

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

C18-21 Alkane

Soluble Collagen

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Phosphate

Synthetic Beeswax

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Helianthus Annuus Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Butylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Tocopherol

Polysorbate 20

Carbomer

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C13-15 Alkane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C18-21 Alkane, Soluble Collagen, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Phosphate, Synthetic Beeswax, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide

Cetearyl Alcohol

Paraffinum Liquidum

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Isopropyl Myristate

Ceteareth-20

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Disodium EDTA

Ascorbic Acid

Ferulic Acid

Parfum

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Polyacrylate

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Trideceth-6

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ceteareth-20, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Ascorbic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Parfum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Trideceth-6, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is the filtered, stabilized liquid pressed from the inner gel of the aloe vera leaf.

In cosmetics, it shows up as either soothing active or a water-replacement base. It is roughly 98-99% water and the last 1-2% is an interesting mix of polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.

The polysaccharides do most of the work: they bind water at the skin surface for a light, non-greasy hydration boost. And one of the polysaccharides, glycomannan, is linked to fibroblast stimulation + collagen synthesis. This is also why aloe has such a long track record in wound and burn healing.

This ingredient is also calming with anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity, making it a great pick for sensitive, irritated, or post-sun skin.

Realistic expectations matter though; the solid evidence is mostly limited to hydration, soothing, and wound support. Deeper claims about anti-aging or sun protection are not well backed, and science reviews note it does not prevent radiation-induced skin injury.

Because it plays well with almost everything, it's commonly used as a base alongside other actives like niacinamide or vitamin C.

Typical usage concentrations range from 0.5% (where hydration benefits already show up) all the way to 90%+ (where it replaces water as the main base).

The safety for this ingredient is well-establish as well. Overall, this is a great supporting ingredient for those who want a boost in hydration.

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%.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Hexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.

It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.

As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.

Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.

This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.

A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.

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 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.

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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