Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream Versus Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream

Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream Versus Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Bakuchiol to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Tribehenin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Isodecyl Neopentanoate

Glyceryl Stearate

Propanediol

Squalane

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Caprylyl Glycol

Bakuchiol

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Ceramide NP

Rosa Canina Seed Oil

Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Pfaffia Paniculata Root Extract

Ptychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract

Calanthe Discolor Extract

Lilium Candidum Flower Extract

Ubiquinone

Superoxide Dismutase

Ergothioneine

Tocopheryl Acetate

Bisabolol

Allantoin

Biotin

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Chrysin

Gluconolactone

Dipeptide-2

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate

Calcium Gluconate

N-Hydroxysuccinimide

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Citric Acid

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Isohexadecane

Pentylene Glycol

Polysorbate 80

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Gluconate

Sodium Hydroxide

Sorbitan Oleate

Steareth-20

Xanthan Gum

Benzyl Alcohol

Chlorhexidine Digluconate

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Tribehenin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propanediol, Squalane, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Bakuchiol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Pfaffia Paniculata Root Extract, Ptychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract, Calanthe Discolor Extract, Lilium Candidum Flower Extract, Ubiquinone, Superoxide Dismutase, Ergothioneine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Biotin, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chrysin, Gluconolactone, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Calcium Gluconate, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Isohexadecane, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Oleate, Steareth-20, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Stearic Acid

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Palmitic Acid

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Panthenol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Boron Nitride

Chlorphenesin

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Sodium Lactate

Polysorbate 20

Ethylhexylglycerin

Pantolactone

Water, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sorbitan Oleate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Boron Nitride, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isohexadecane, Chlorphenesin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 80, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pantolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

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.

This ingredient is a synthetic polymer used to stabilize formulas and give products a "gel-cream" feel.

When applied, this ingredient mostly stays on the surface of skin. Safety reviews have found these polymers safe in cosmetics when made to proper quality standards. Testing also shows they’re unlikely to cause irritation or sensitization at normal use levels.

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).

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Isohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.

Due to its large size, Isohexadecane is not absorbed by the skin. Instead, it sits on top and acts as an emollient. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by trapping moisture within.

Isohexadecane is often used in products designed to help oily skin. It is lightweight and non-greasy while helping to moisturize. When mixed with silicones, it gives a product a silky feel.

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.

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.

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 80 is a synthetic surfactant and emulsifier derived from sorbitol and oleic acid.

It reduces the surface tension between oil and water phases to help them stay mixed and stable in a formulation. In other words, it prevents your formulas from separating into an oily mess.

The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the scientific data and found this ingredient to be safe, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing at concentrations up to 5% (it's even approved by the FDA as an OTC eye drop ingredient).

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

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 Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Sorbitan Oleate is a PEG-free emulsifier made by esterifying sorbitol with oleic acid.

You'll likely see it paired with Polysorbate 80 to create the right emulsification balance.

Typical use levels in formulas range from 2-10%.

The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as a cosmetic ingredient.

Since this ingredient is an ester of oleic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. Oleic acid is a fatty acid that falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

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!

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