Skin science article
Advanced Clinicals Collagen Serum Versus Dr.G Royal Black Snail Cream
Advanced Clinicals Collagen Serum Versus Dr.G Royal Black Snail Cream This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Snail Secretion Filtrate and Niacina
Advanced Clinicals Collagen Serum Versus Dr.G Royal Black Snail Cream
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Snail Secretion Filtrate and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Isopropyl Myristate
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Glycerin
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Cetearyl Alcohol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Hydrolyzed Soybean Fiber
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Squalane
Soluble Collagen
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Tocopherol
Avena Sativa Bran Extract
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Maltodextrin
Phenoxyethanol
Parfum
Caprylyl Glycol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Hexylene Glycol
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Linalool
Hydroxycitronellal
Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Soybean Fiber, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Squalane, Soluble Collagen, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Tocopherol, Avena Sativa Bran Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Dipropylene Glycol
Cyclohexasiloxane
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Triethylhexanoin
Niacinamide
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
Beeswax
Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein
Honey Extract
1,2-Hexanediol
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
Cetearyl Glucoside
Glycosyl Trehalose
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Vinyldimethicone
Cetearyl Olivate
Glyceryl Stearate
Butylene Glycol
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Stearyl Alcohol
Sorbitan Olivate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Arginine
Carbomer
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
Xanthan Gum
Adenosine
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Hexylglycerin
Beta-Glucan
Caramel
Phenethyl Alcohol
Sucrose
Sorbitan Isostearate
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Pearl Powder
Phytic Acid
Tranexamic Acid
Myristic Acid
Glucose
Centella Asiatica Extract
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Pentylene Glycol
Zymomonas Ferment Extract
Water, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triethylhexanoin, Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Beeswax, Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein, Honey Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycosyl Trehalose, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Vinyldimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Arginine, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hexylglycerin, Beta-Glucan, Caramel, Phenethyl Alcohol, Sucrose, Sorbitan Isostearate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Pearl Powder, Phytic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, Maltodextrin, Myristic Acid, Glucose, Centella Asiatica Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Zymomonas Ferment Extract, Parfum
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Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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).
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-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.
Maltodextrin is a plant-derived carbohydrate made by breaking down starch (usually from corn, potato, or rice). In cosmetic formulas, it's a multitasking absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and skin conditioner.
This ingredient is mostly used to stabilize emulsions and improve the powdery, non-greasy feel of products (like dry shampoos).
Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.
Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
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!