alpyn beauty Super Peptide & Ghostberry Moisturizer Versus Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer

alpyn beauty Super Peptide & Ghostberry Moisturizer Versus Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Ceramide NP to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Honey Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Squalane

Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters

Coconut Alkanes

C12-16 Alcohols

Propanediol

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Behenyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Symphoricarpos Albus Fruit Extract

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Ceramide NP

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide As

Ceramide AP

Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate

1,2-Hexanediol

Cetearyl Olivate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Nephelium Lappaceum Peel Extract

Palmitic Acid

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Sorbitan Olivate

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Xanthan Gum

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract

Bisabolol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Tripeptide-29

Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

2,3-Butanediol

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Cholesterol

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Coconut Alkanes, C12-16 Alcohols, Propanediol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Symphoricarpos Albus Fruit Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Nephelium Lappaceum Peel Extract, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Xanthan Gum, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Tripeptide-29, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, 2,3-Butanediol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Cholesterol, Sodium Benzoate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

C13-15 Alkane

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-1

Diisostearyl Malate

Xylitylglucoside

Honey Extract

Betaine

Panthenol

Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables

Propolis Extract

Royal Jelly Extract

Tocopherol

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Glucose

Xylitol

Anhydroxylitol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Triolein

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Arginine

Aroma

Hydroxyacetophenone

Glyceryl Dioleate

Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine

Sodium Phytate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C13-15 Alkane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-1, Diisostearyl Malate, Xylitylglucoside, Honey Extract, Betaine, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Ceramide NP, Propolis Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Tocopherol, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Glucose, Bisabolol, Xylitol, Anhydroxylitol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Triolein, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Arginine, Aroma, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Dioleate, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sodium Phytate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.

It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.

A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.

In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.

You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.

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%.

Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.

Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.

This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.

A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.

Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.

Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.

Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

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 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.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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