APLB Azelaic Acid Peptide Ampoule Serum Versus AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum

APLB Azelaic Acid Peptide Ampoule Serum Versus AXIS - Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum

This calming ampoule is formulated around Azelaic Acid and Sh-Oligopeptide-1 to calm redness and fade the look of dark spots.

This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Squalane to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Centella Asiatica Leaf Water

Butylene Glycol

Propanediol

Glycerin

Diethoxyethyl Succinate

Azelaic Acid

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Madecassic Acid

Asiaticoside

Asiatic Acid

Squalane

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract

Beta-Glucan

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Extract

Artemisia Annua Extract

Oryza Sativa Extract

Saccharomyces Ferment

Dipropylene Glycol

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Allantoin

Cellulose Gum

Disodium EDTA

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Citric Acid

Xanthan Gum

Inulin

Cellulose

Glucose

Fructose

Panthenol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

1,2-Hexanediol

Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Azelaic Acid, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Squalane, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Cellulose Gum, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Cellulose, Glucose, Fructose, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, 1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Erythritol

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Chlorphenesin

Arginine

Carbomer

Glutathione

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Erythritol, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Chlorphenesin, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Glutathione, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Allantoin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

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

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract comes from the seabuckthorn berry. This berry is native to Asia and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries.

The seabuckthorn fruit contains carotenoids, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, Vitamin C, linoleic acid, and vitamin E.

The nutritious content of seabuckthorn fruit helps hydrate and nourish the skin. A study from 2018 found seabuckthorn may help with alleviating UV damage due to its anti-inflammatory property. However, it should not replace your sunscreen.

Due to its antioxidant properties, seabuckthorn fruit may help reduce the signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight unstable free-radical molecules, or molecules that may damage your skin cells.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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.

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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