Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Boost Lab Multi-Peptide Anti-Ageing Serum Versus Neova DNA Total Repair

Boost Lab Multi-Peptide Anti-Ageing Serum Versus Neova DNA Total Repair This anti-aging serum is formulated around Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles. This calming serum is formulated around

Boost Lab Multi-Peptide Anti-Ageing Serum Versus Neova DNA Total Repair

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This calming serum is formulated around Ergothioneine to calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Pentylene Glycol

Xylitylglucoside

Glycerin

Anhydroxylitol

Xylitol

Acacia Senegal Gum

Xanthan Gum

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

PEG-12 Dimethicone

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Citric Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Pentylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Glycerin, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Saccharide Isomerate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cyclopentasiloxane

Dimethicone

Polysorbate 60

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Ergothioneine

Micrococcus Lysate

Plankton Extract

Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Cassia Alata Leaf Extract

Buddleja Davidii Leaf Extract

Saccharomyces Lysate Extract

Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Squalane

Panthenol

Butylene Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Camphor

Lecithin

Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

BHT

Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Saccharide Isomerate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ergothioneine, Xylitylglucoside, Micrococcus Lysate, Plankton Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Buddleja Davidii Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Phenoxyethanol, Squalane, Xylitol, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Camphor, Lecithin, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, BHT

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

This ingredient is created from dehydrating xylitol in acidic conditions. Xylitol is a famous sugar and humectant.

Much like its predecessor, anhydroxylitol is a humectant. Humectants attract and hold water to moisturize the skin.

This ingredient is most commonly found in a popular trio called Aquaxyl. Aquaxyl is made up of anhydroxylitol (24 - 34%), xylitylglucoside (35 - 50%), and xylitol (5 - 15%).

According to a manufacturer, Aquaxyl is known for a 3-D hydration concept and an anti-dehydration shield to reinforce the outer layer of skin.

This ingredient is often derived from plants such as wood and sugarcane.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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!

Xylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.

In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.

The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.

As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.

Xylitylglucoside is created from xylitol and glucose, two humectants.

Not surprisingly, this ingredient is also a humectant. It attracts and holds water in your skin, helping to maintain hydration.

This ingredient is most commonly found in a popular trio called Aquaxyl. Aquaxyl is made up of anhydroxylitol(24 - 34%), xylitylglucoside (35 - 50%), and xylitol (5 - 15%).

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side