Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

alpyn beauty Super Peptide & Ghostberry Moisturizer Versus Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream

alpyn beauty Super Peptide & Ghostberry Moisturizer Versus Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream 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 calming

alpyn beauty Super Peptide & Ghostberry Moisturizer Versus Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream

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 calming moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Galactoarabinan to calm redness 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

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Glyceryl Caprylate

Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Galactoarabinan

Cetyl Palmitate

Octyldodecanol

Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables

Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract

Tocopherol

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract

Santalum Spicatum Wood Oil

Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil

Cymbopogon Martini Oil

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Sodium Phytate

Sodium Anisate

Sclerotium Gum

Citric Acid

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycerin, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Galactoarabinan, Cetyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Santalum Spicatum Wood Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Anisate, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid

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.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent that helps cosmetics stay fresh, stable, and consistent over time.

Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product. It also helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes in products that contain water.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid is often used with natural antimicrobial products as an alternative to preservatives.

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.

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.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side