alpyn beauty Bearberry & Vitamin C Glow Serum Versus Herbivore Moon Fruit 1% Bakuchiol + Peptides Retinol Alternative Serum

alpyn beauty Bearberry & Vitamin C Glow Serum Versus Herbivore Moon Fruit 1% Bakuchiol + Peptides Retinol Alternative Serum

This brightening serum is formulated around Bakuchiol and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Bakuchiol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glycerin

Squalane

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Diheptyl Succinate

Mica

Titanium Dioxide

Bakuchiol

Tocopherol

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Glycolic Acid

Sodium Phytate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Azelaic Acid

Zinc Oxide

Xanthan Gum

Linoleic Acid

Cetearyl Glucoside

Arnica Montana Flower Extract

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Wax

Borago Officinalis Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Dehydroacetic Acid

Benzyl Alcohol

Potassium Sorbate

Lactic Acid

Tripeptide-29

Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein

Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract

Water

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tin Oxide

Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Squalane, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Bakuchiol, Tocopherol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Azelaic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Xanthan Gum, Linoleic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Wax, Borago Officinalis Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Lactic Acid, Tripeptide-29, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Water, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tin Oxide, Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract

Triheptanoin

Propanediol

C9-12 Alkane

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract

Eragrostis Tef Seed Extract

Anigozanthos Flavidus Flower/Leaf Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Morus Alba Fruit Extract

Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Sclerotium Gum

Sodium Levulinate

Sodium Anisate

Citric Acid

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Decyl Glucoside

Tocopheryl Acetate

Lauryl Glucoside

Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract

Diisopropyl Adipate

Triethyl Citrate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Rosa Damascena Extract

Alcohol

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Extract

Cinnamomum Camphora Linalooliferum Wood Extract

Water, Triheptanoin, Propanediol, C9-12 Alkane, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glycerin, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Bakuchiol, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Eragrostis Tef Seed Extract, Anigozanthos Flavidus Flower/Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Citric Acid, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Phytate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lauryl Glucoside, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Diisopropyl Adipate, Triethyl Citrate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Rosa Damascena Extract, Alcohol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Extract, Cinnamomum Camphora Linalooliferum Wood Extract

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.

You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:

1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV) 2) activate the same genes retinoids do

Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).

The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.

Systematic reviews also back this up:

Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.

The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.

This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.

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.

Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.

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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