Advanced Clinicals Peptide Serum Versus Ebanel Labs Hyaluronic Peptide Serum

Advanced Clinicals Peptide Serum Versus Ebanel Labs Hyaluronic Peptide Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This hydrating serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Glycerin

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

PEG-12 Dimethicone

Soluble Collagen

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Rosa Damascena Flower Extract

Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract

Butylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

1,2-Hexanediol

Carbomer

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Parfum

Hexylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Lactate

Sodium Citrate

Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Citrate

Water

Niacinamide

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Arbutin

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Nonapeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-7 Hcl

Sh-Decapeptide-9

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Rh-Polypeptide-45

Sh-Polypeptide-16

Sh-Polypeptide-22

Thuja Orientalis Leaf Extract

Zanthoxylum Schinifolium Leaf Extract

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract

Vitis Vinifera Callus Culture Extract

Phospholipids

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Retinyl Palmitate

Panthenol

Dimethyl Sulfone

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Persea Gratissima Oil

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Propylene Glycol

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Ascorbic Acid

Dextran

Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Arbutin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-7 Hcl, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37, Sh-Decapeptide-9, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Rh-Polypeptide-45, Sh-Polypeptide-16, Sh-Polypeptide-22, Thuja Orientalis Leaf Extract, Zanthoxylum Schinifolium Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Vitis Vinifera Callus Culture Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phospholipids, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propylene Glycol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Dextran, Carbomer, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

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.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.

That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.

Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.

In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.

Human clinical data is promising, but modest:

A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.

A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.

You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.

Fungal acne note: Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37 is a peptide.

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.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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