Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum Versus Medik8 Copper PCA Peptides Mineral Antioxidant Peptide Serum

Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum Versus Medik8 Copper PCA Peptides Mineral Antioxidant Peptide Serum

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Ectoin and Copper Tripeptide-1 to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Ectoin

Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Isononyl Isononanoate

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Panthenol

Carnitine

Tocopherol

Copper Tripeptide-1

Oxidized Glutathione

Ergothioneine

Tropolone

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Saccharide Isomerate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Gluconate

Sclerotium Gum

Disodium Phosphate

Sodium Phosphate

Caprylyl Glycol

Propanediol

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Citric Acid

Polysorbate 60

Sodium Hydroxide

Polysorbate 20

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Ectoin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Panthenol, Carnitine, Tocopherol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Oxidized Glutathione, Ergothioneine, Tropolone, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Saccharide Isomerate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Sclerotium Gum, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol

Cyclopentasiloxane

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Stearic Acid

Polyacrylamide

Cyclohexasiloxane

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Cetearyl Alcohol

Copper PCA

Niacinamide

Butylene Glycol

Benzyl Alcohol

Laureth-7

Polysilicone-11

Triethanolamine

Aminobutyric Acid

CI 77120

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol

Centella Asiatica Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Dehydroacetic Acid

Carbomer

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Superoxide Dismutase

Tromethamine

Sodium Metabisulfite

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Cyclohexasiloxane, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cetearyl Alcohol, Copper PCA, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Laureth-7, Polysilicone-11, Triethanolamine, Aminobutyric Acid, CI 77120, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Superoxide Dismutase, Tromethamine, Sodium Metabisulfite

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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.

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.

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.

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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