Skin science article
Cosiq CPM 2% Moisturiser With Ceramides + Peptides Versus Cosiq Airgel NMF 15% Moisturiser
Cosiq CPM 2% Moisturiser With Ceramides + Peptides Versus Cosiq Airgel NMF 15% Moisturiser This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles. This barrier-repair moisturiz
Cosiq CPM 2% Moisturiser With Ceramides + Peptides Versus Cosiq Airgel NMF 15% Moisturiser
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Hyaluronic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Glycerin
Propanediol
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Xylitylglucoside
Anhydroxylitol
Xylitol
Benzyl Alcohol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Tocopherol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ceramide EOP
Ceramide Ns
Ceramide NP
Ceramide As
Ceramide AP
Cholesterol
Allantoin
Sodium Gluconate
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Propanediol, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Allantoin, Sodium Gluconate
Bacillus
Sorbitol
Hyaluronic Acid
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Sorbate
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Betaine
Sodium Carbomer
Sodium PCA
Sodium Lactate
PCA
Serine
Alanine
Glycine
Glutamic Acid
Lysine Hcl
Threonine
Arginine
Proline
Saccharide Isomerate
Menthyl Lactate
Menthol
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Bacillus, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Propanediol, Hyaluronic Acid, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Sodium Gluconate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Betaine, Sodium Carbomer, Allantoin, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Saccharide Isomerate, Tocopherol, Menthyl Lactate, Menthol
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is a botanical extract pulled from the leaves of aloe vera and one of the most studied plant ingredients in cosmetics.
The inner leaf gel it comes from is mostly water (~99-99.5%) and the remaining fraction is made up of pretty good stuff: polysaccharides, vitamins, phenolics, and enzymes.
Its headline job is hydration.
The star polysaccharide in aloe, acemannan, is a humectant that retains moisture and helps reduce trans-epidermal water loss.
Aloe also has real soothing credentials; it contains anti-inflammatory compounds like bradykinase and C-glucosyl chromone that help calm irritation and redness.
On the repair side, lab work shows that acemannan wakes up your skin's repair cells (fibroblasts), prompting them to multiply and speed up healing.
There's some human data for cosmetic benefit too: a cream containing 10% Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract improved skin hydration and elasticity in a real-use study.
Safety-wise, this ingredient is well-regarded with just one rare downside; there have been some case reports of acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis in people who applied aloe-derived ingredients topically. Those with a known aloe or Liliaceae sensitivity should patch test.
Typical use levels range widely, from under 1% up to 90%+ depending on the format and the effect you are after.
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.
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.
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.
This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
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!
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%).