Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Algenist Triple Algae Eye Renewal Balm Versus COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream

Algenist Triple Algae Eye Renewal Balm Versus COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Snail Secret

Algenist Triple Algae Eye Renewal Balm Versus COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Snail Secretion Filtrate and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Stearic Acid

Isopropyl Isostearate

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Pentylene Glycol

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Cetearyl Alcohol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Parachlorella Beijerinckii Exopolysaccharides

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Undaria Pinnatifida Extract

Dipeptide-2

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Sodium Hyaluronate

Caffeine

Coffea Arabica Seed Oil

Tribehenin

Ceramide Ng

PEG-10 Phytosterol

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Tocopheryl Acetate

Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract

Pisum Sativum Extract

Glucosamine Hcl

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Panthenol

Pantolactone

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Pfaffia Paniculata Root Extract

Ptychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract

Lilium Candidum Flower Extract

Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Phospholipids

Ceteareth-20

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Disodium EDTA

Aminomethyl Propanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Lactic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Steareth-20

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Chlorhexidine Digluconate

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Benzyl Alcohol

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Isostearate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Parachlorella Beijerinckii Exopolysaccharides, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Coffea Arabica Seed Oil, Tribehenin, Ceramide Ng, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Glucosamine Hcl, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Pfaffia Paniculata Root Extract, Ptychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract, Lilium Candidum Flower Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Phospholipids, Ceteareth-20, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Steareth-20, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Butylene Glycol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Palmitic Acid

Arginine

Carbomer

Betaine

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Allantoin

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Adenosine

Xanthan Gum

Myristic Acid

Copper Tripeptide-1

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Water, Palmitic Acid, Arginine, Carbomer, Stearic Acid, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Myristic Acid, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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 Tetrapeptide-7 (formerly Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3) is a synthetic peptide. Its main job is to fight what researchers call "inflammaging".

"Inflammaging" is the slow, low-grade chronic inflammation that quietly breaks down collagen as we age.

This ingredient calms down a specific inflammation signal in your skin cells (called IL-6). When left unchecked, this signal triggers enzymes that break down collagen and elastin.

Clinical testing showed statistically significant improvements in:

Studies also found the more of this ingredient used, the more your skin produces Collagen I, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.

You'll likely see this ingredient paired with Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 in the well-known Matrixyl 3000 complex for enhanced anti-aging effects.

A 3% concentration applied twice daily for two months showed meaningful skin rejuvenation results in clinical panels.

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.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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.

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.

In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:

Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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%.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 031,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
  4. 04It is a:
  5. 05Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  6. 06Emollient, helping to soften skin
  7. 07Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  8. 08Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
  9. 09Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (also known as Argireline) is a synthetic hexapeptide that is often called a "topical Botox alternative".
  10. 10It works by mimicking how Botox relaxes muscles; it interferes with the signaling process that tells your facial muscles to contract. This can help soften expression lines like forehead wrinkles or crow's feet over time.
  11. 11The comparison to Botox does have limits because the molecule is water-loving and relatively large.
  12. 12Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 has a hard time absorbing deeply enough through the skin's outer barrier to actually reach the muscles.
  13. 13So whether it truly works the way Botox does at a biological level is still up for debate, but early clinical outcomes are fairly encouraging.
  14. 14A 12 week human study of a multi-ingredient regimen containing this ingredient saw:
  15. 15While some studies have observed improvements in wrinkle appearance, it is important to note that more consistent results are seen in multi-ingredient formulations (vs just Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 alone).
  16. 16Some research studies also used higher concentrations (up to 10%) while this ingredient is usually found in concentrations up to 0.005% in leave-on formulations.
  17. 17Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
  18. 18The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
  19. 19Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down o…
  20. 20The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

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