Celimax The Real Noni Moisture Balancing Toner Versus Wellderma Retinol Peptide Lifting Restore Essence Toner

Celimax The Real Noni Moisture Balancing Toner Versus Wellderma Retinol Peptide Lifting Restore Essence Toner

This hydrating toner is formulated around Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract and Allantoin to hydrate skin and calm redness.

This anti-aging toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract

Butylene Glycol

Water

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Glycine

Serine

Glutamic Acid

Aspartic Acid

Leucine

Alanine

Lysine

Arginine

Tyrosine

Phenylalanine

Proline

Threonine

Valine

Isoleucine

Histidine

Cysteine

Methionine

Morinda Citrifolia Seed Oil

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Betaine

Allantoin

Dextrin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

C12-13 Pareth-9

Disodium EDTA

Chlorphenesin

Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Morinda Citrifolia Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Betaine, Allantoin, Dextrin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-13 Pareth-9, Disodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin

Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract

Propanediol

Niacinamide

Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract

Camellia Japonica Flower Extract

Calendula Officinalis Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Geranium Maculatum Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Extract

Thymus Vulgaris Extract

Origanum Vulgare Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Milk Protein Extract

Saccharomyces/Rice Bran Ferment

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract

Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract

Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract

Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract

Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract

Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract

Asparagus Officinalis Extract

Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract

Salicornia Herbacea Extract

Phragmites Communis Extract

Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract

Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract

Borago Officinalis Extract

Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Morus Alba Fruit Extract

Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract

Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

Hydrolyzed Elastin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Ascorbic Acid

Cyanocobalamin

Pyridoxine Hcl

Tocopherol

Retinol

Panthenol

Atelocollagen

Desamido Collagen

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Soluble Collagen

Collagen

Collagen Amino Acids

Procollagen

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Caffeoyl Tripeptide-1

Sh-Octapeptide-4

Sh-Pentapeptide-19

Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-1

Sh-Decapeptide-9

Caffeoyl Sh-Octapeptide-4

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Pantolactone

Methyl Gluceth-20

Dipropylene Glycol

Glycerin

Benzyl Glycol

Raspberry Ketone

Carbomer

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Adenosine

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Polysorbate 20

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Origanum Vulgare Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Milk Protein Extract, Saccharomyces/Rice Bran Ferment, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Asparagus Officinalis Extract, Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Phragmites Communis Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Pyridoxine Hcl, Tocopherol, Retinol, Panthenol, Atelocollagen, Desamido Collagen, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soluble Collagen, Collagen, Collagen Amino Acids, Procollagen, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Caffeoyl Tripeptide-1, Sh-Octapeptide-4, Sh-Pentapeptide-19, Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Sh-Decapeptide-9, Caffeoyl Sh-Octapeptide-4, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Serine, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonine, Proline, Isoleucine, Histidine, Methionine, Cysteine, Pantolactone, Methyl Gluceth-20, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Benzyl Glycol, Raspberry Ketone, Arginine, Carbomer, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Adenosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polysorbate 20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Disodium EDTA, 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

Alanine is an amino acid and is already found in the human body. Our skin uses alanine to build collagen, elastin, and keratin.

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.

It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.

A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.

Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.

One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.

Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.

Aspartic Acid is an amino acid that our bodies produce naturally. It is an antioxidant.

Our body uses Aspartic Acid to help build collagen and elastin. It also plays a role in hydrating skin.

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.

Cysteine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that your body naturally makes and uses to build keratin (the protein in your hair, skin, and nails) and gluthatione (a major internal antioxidant).

In skincare, it's mostly added as an antioxidant. Some emerging research is also looking at its role in wound healing + evening out pigmentation though most of the pigmentation data comes from oral supplements rather than topical use).

Typical use concentrations for this ingredient are usually quite low (under 5% in leave-on skincare).

Safety data on cysteine specifically shows it's not a skin or eye irritant.

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%.

Glutamic Acid is an amino acid that is found in all living organisms. Our bodies use this to help nerve cells in the brain communicate with other cells.

In cosmetics, glutamic acid is a famous humectant. It draws water from the air to your skin, keeping your skin hydrated (like hyaluronic acid).

An in-vitro study from 2024 found glutamic acid to play a role in inhibiting inflammation and thus a potential skin-soothing ingredient.

Other studies show it to be have potential wound healing, skin barrier repair, and hair growth properties.

Glutamic acid has poor solubility in water and other solvents.

Glycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.

Histidine is a semi-essential amino acid used by our bodies to create protein. It has humectant and skin conditioning properties.

Our bodies use histidine to create filaggrin - filaggrin is a structural protein that the skin uses in maintaining skin barrier.

One study found histidine and carnosine to be a dynamic duo for your skin:

Oral histidine has also been found to help with filaggrin-deficit skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis.

Why is it considered a semi-essential amino acid? This is because adults are able to create it but children must get it from their diet.

Isoleucine is an amino acid that helps reinforce our skin barrier. This amino acid plays a role in creating protein for the body.

Fun fact: Isoleucine is found in meat, fish, dairy, legumes, and nuts.

Leucine is a small amino acid and one of the building blocks your body uses to make proteins.

It's also naturally found in your skin as part of your Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF). Your NMF is a mix of water-binding molecules that keeps the outer skin layer hydrated and flexible.

In skincare, it's mainly used as a skin conditioning ingredient that helps reinforce the same moisture-retention function.

You'll usually see it used at low percentages (generally under 5%) which is in line with how amino acids are used in cosmetics.

Lysine is an essential amino acid (your body cannot make it on its own). It has skin conditioning properties and one of the key players in collagen synthesis.

When your body creates collagen, lysine is basically the glue that holds everything together. It helps collagen fibers lock into each other and stay strong, with vitamin C being its trusty sidekick. Without enough lysine, this glue gets flimsy and less firm, resulting in less bouncy skin.

In skincare, lysine is mostly there to help keep your skin moisturized. It carries water through your skin's layers so everything stays plump.

So will putting lysine on your face create bouncier skin?

It's hard to say; most of the exciting collagen research on lysine comes from oral supplements or lab studies on mice. Further research is needed to truly understand what role topical lysine plays in skincare and your skin.

However, there's no harm in adding lysine to your routine as a supportive and hydrating ingredient.

Methionine is a natural amino acid your skin already uses to make proteins and gluthatione (one of the body's key defense molecules against environmental stress like sun + pollution).

Its sulfur content makes it especially reactive with the free radicals that damage skin, giving it genuine antioxidant properties.

Usage percentages are usually under 1%, and usually as part of an amino acid mix designed to mimic what's naturally in skin.

One study used a combination of essential amino acids at 0.2% with supplemental methionine added and found significantly boosted collagen production in human skin.

Cosmetic industry reviewers have looked closely at methionine and other amino acids and found them well tolerated. Methionine is actually used as a "negative control" in lab tests designed to spot irritating ingredients because it doesn't cause a reaction.

Phenylalanine is an amino acid. It is a skin soothing and hydrating ingredient. Amino acids play a crucial role in wound healing and skin hydration.

This ingredient is also used to help even out skin tone due to its ability to disrupt the melanin production process.

Two structures of phenylalanine exist: L-phenylalanine and D-phenylalanine. L-phenylalanine is essential, this means our bodies cannot produce it naturally and we must get it from foods. Our bodies convert D-phenylalanine to neurotransmitters, and D-phenylalanine is found in our bodies naturally.

Some foods that contain L-phenylalanine include eggs, soybeans, beef, milk.

Proline is a non-essential amino acid, meaning your body can make it on its own. In skincare, it is a skin conditioning ingredient that keeps skin soft and hydrated.

It makes up about 23% of the collagen molecule (collagen is the protein responsible for keeping your skin firm) and is involved in your skin's natural hyaluronic acid production. When applied topically, proline can penetrate the skin fairly well due to its small molecular size.

Reviews of this ingredient have found it to be neither a dermal irritant nor a sensitizer.

Fun fact: Proline can be found in protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.

Serine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.

Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.

Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.

Threonine is an amino-acid. It helps hydrate the skin and has antioxidant benefits.

Our skin uses threonine for creating collagen and elastin. Humans are not able to create threonine and must get it through eating foods such as fish, lentils, poultry, sesame seeds, and more.

Tyrosine is one of the amino acids your body already uses as a protein building block. In skincare, it shows up as a skin-conditioning agent.

It's most notable for being the raw material that your skin's tyrosinase enzyme converts into melanin (skin pigment); this is why it's sometimes marketed as a "tan accelerator" in products.

However, the tanning claim is shaky. Lab studies on isolated skin cells show tyrosine can boost melanin production at fairly high concentrations but hasn't shown to speed up/deepen a tan when applied directly to skin in animal studies (up to 0.05%).

Finished cosmetic products use it at low levels (generally well under 1%). At these amounts, it's considered non-irritating and non-sensitizing based on repeat-use patch testing.

Allergy-wise, plain tyrosinase hasn't shown sensitization issues but a chemically modified relative called Oleoyl Tyrosine has had a handful of cases.

Valine is one of the essential amino acids (meaning your body can't make it on its own and has to get it from food).

In skincare, it's usually synthetically-made or pulled from plant proteins like soy.

It's one of the small building blocks that make up your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the built-in system that helps skin hold onto water. So its main job in a formula is to give the skin gentle hydration and help it feel more comfortable.

Typical amounts are very tiny: roughly 0.00004%-0.5% in leave on products and up to 1% in rinse-off ones.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel has looked at this ingredient and found no evidence of it being a skin irritant or allergen at cosmetic levels.

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