Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Allies of Skin CE15 Bakuchiol Firming Oil Versus Niod Neck Elasticity Catalyst

Allies of Skin CE15 Bakuchiol Firming Oil Versus Niod Neck Elasticity Catalyst This anti-aging oil is formulated around Rosa Canina Fruit Oil and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin. This anti-aging treatment

Allies of Skin CE15 Bakuchiol Firming Oil Versus Niod Neck Elasticity Catalyst

This anti-aging oil is formulated around Rosa Canina Fruit Oil and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil

Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate

Nigella Sativa Seed Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Squalane

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil

Bakuchiol

Ubiquinone

Teprenone

Physalis Angulata Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Squalane, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Bakuchiol, Ubiquinone, Teprenone, Physalis Angulata Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Water

Caprylyl Methicone

Glycerin

PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Butylene Glycol

Hyaluronic Acid

Ethoxydiglycol

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract

Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract

Carnitine

Caffeine

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine

Acetyl Cyclohexapeptide-34

Urea

Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract

Coccoloba Uvifera Fruit Extract

Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer

Glyceryl Caprylate

Polyvinyl Alcohol

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Maltodextrin

Dextran

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Xanthan Gum

Sorbitan Laurate

Stearalkonium Hectorite

Propylene Carbonate

Tocopherol

Phenylpropanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

1,2-Hexanediol

Water, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycerin, PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Butylene Glycol, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Carnitine, Caffeine, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine, Acetyl Cyclohexapeptide-34, Urea, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Coccoloba Uvifera Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Maltodextrin, Dextran, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Laurate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Tocopherol, Phenylpropanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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).

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.

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 Side-by-side

  1. 01Water
  2. 02Azelaic Acid
  3. 03Butylene Glycol
  4. 04Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
  5. 05Propanediol
  6. 06Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
  7. 07Kojic Acid
  8. 08Polysorbate 20
  9. 09Glycerin
  10. 10Caprylyl Glycol
  11. 11Hexylresorcinol
  12. 12Ethyl Linoleate
  13. 13Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
  14. 14Dodecane
  15. 15Hydroxyethylcellulose
  16. 16Xanthan Gum
  17. 17Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
  18. 18Squalane
  19. 19Bisabolol
  20. 20Glyceryl Laurate
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side