Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream Versus innisfree Collagen Peptide Firming Ampoule Cream

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream Versus innisfree Collagen Peptide Firming Ampoule Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Squalane

Propanediol

Pentylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Glyceryl Glucoside

Niacinamide

Mannitol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Carbomer

Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Caprylyl Glycol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Sodium Gluconate

Sodium Hydroxide

Tocopherol

Beta-Glucan

Sodium Hyaluronate

Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract

Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11

Citric Acid

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Mannitol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carbomer, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Citric Acid, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Butylene Glycol

Methyl Trimethicone

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Dibutyl Adipate

Sucrose Polystearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Sea Water

Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Palmitic Acid

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Stearic Acid

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Dextrin

Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Extensin

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Sodium Metaphosphate

Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Tromethamine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Artemisia Vulgaris Oil

Sorbitan Isostearate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Santalum Album Oil

Achillea Millefolium Extract

Myristic Acid

Arachidic Acid

Glycine Max Polypeptide

Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Copper Tripeptide-1

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Acetyl Heptapeptide-4

Ceramide NP

Soluble Collagen

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Hexapeptide-9

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Methyl Trimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Dibutyl Adipate, Sucrose Polystearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sea Water, Niacinamide, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Stearic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dextrin, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Metaphosphate, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Artemisia Vulgaris Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Santalum Album Oil, Propanediol, Mannitol, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Glycine Max Polypeptide, Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Tocopherol, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Ceramide NP, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexapeptide-9, Acetyl Octapeptide-3

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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

This synthetic peptide is a signal peptide, meaning it tells your skin to create more collagen and elastin.

According to a manufacturer, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11 helps improve skin elasticity and firmness.

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.

As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.

It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.

A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.

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).

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.

Mannitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a humectant and moisturizes the skin. In vitro (not tested on a living organism), mannitol displays antioxidant properties.

When found in aqueous solutions, mannitol tends to become acidic. This is because it loses a hydrogen ion. This is why mannitol can often be found with pH adjusting ingredients, such as sodium bicarbonate.

Fun fact: Mannitol can be found in foods as a sweetener. It can be naturally found in mushrooms, algae, fruits, and veggies.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

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%.

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.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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.

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!

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