Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

APRILSKIN Calendula Peel Off Pack Versus Mary & May Calendula Peptide Ageless Sleeping Mask

APRILSKIN Calendula Peel Off Pack Versus Mary & May Calendula Peptide Ageless Sleeping Mask This wash off mask is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores. This anti-aging overnight mask is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and

APRILSKIN Calendula Peel Off Pack Versus Mary & May Calendula Peptide Ageless Sleeping Mask

This wash off mask is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.

This anti-aging overnight mask is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dipropylene Glycol

Alcohol Denat.

Polyvinyl Alcohol

1,2-Hexanediol

Propanediol

Polyglyceryl-10 Isostearate

Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Glucose

Fructooligosaccharides

Fructose

Butylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glycerin

Beta-Glucan

Cellulose Gum

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Citrate

Cynanchum Atratum Extract

Althaea Rosea Flower Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower

Tocopherol

Niacinamide

Parfum

Caffeine

Sodium Phytate

Gluconolactone

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Salicylic Acid

Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Polyvinyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Isostearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Glucose, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Beta-Glucan, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower, Tocopherol, Niacinamide, Parfum, Caffeine, Sodium Phytate, Gluconolactone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Salicylic Acid, Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil

Methylpropanediol

Betaine

Gardenia Taitensis Callus Extract

Oak Root Extract

Tremella Fuciformis Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Orchid Leaf/Root/Stem Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Panthenol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tromethamine

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Dextrin

Ceramide NP

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Oligopeptide-6

Tripeptide-1

Copper Tripeptide-1

Hexapeptide-2

Dipeptide-2

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3

Acetyl Tripeptide-1

Hexapeptide-9

Tripeptide-2

Nonapeptide-1

Pentapeptide-3

Tripeptide-3

Alanine/Histidine/Lysine Polypeptide Copper Hcl

Dipeptide-4

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Guaiazulene

Water, Alcohol Denat., Methylpropanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Dipropylene Glycol, Gardenia Taitensis Callus Extract, Oak Root Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Orchid Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Dextrin, Sodium Phytate, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Oligopeptide-6, Tripeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-2, Dipeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Acetyl Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Tripeptide-2, Nonapeptide-1, Pentapeptide-3, Tripeptide-3, Alanine/Histidine/Lysine Polypeptide Copper Hcl, Dipeptide-4, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Guaiazulene, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.

The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).

This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.

However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.

Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.

This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.

Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.

Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.

The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.

One thing to note: People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).

Also...

This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.

The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.

Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.

This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.

Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.

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.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

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.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

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.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

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