COSRX The Blue Peptide Bakuchiol Plump Glow Serum Versus Eqqualberry Bakuchiol Plumping Serum

COSRX The Blue Peptide Bakuchiol Plump Glow Serum Versus Eqqualberry Bakuchiol Plumping Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Bakuchiol and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Dipropylene Glycol

Niacinamide

1,2-Hexanediol

Betaine

Diethoxyethyl Succinate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Dimethicone

Copper Tripeptide-1

Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate

Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate

Bakuchiol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Alcohol

Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate

Disodium EDTA

Adenosine

Caprylyl Glycol

Tocopherol

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-1

Acetyl Heptapeptide-4

Panthenol

Inositol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Sodium Hydroxide

Propanediol

Beta-Glucan

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone, Copper Tripeptide-1, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Bakuchiol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Alcohol, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Panthenol, Inositol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sodium Hydroxide, Propanediol, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Pentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate

Ceramide NP

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Cetearyl Alcohol

Squalane

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Carbomer

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Tromethamine

Xanthan Gum

Allantoin

2,3-Butanediol

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan

Glyceryl Stearate

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract

Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract

Sodium Lactate

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide As

Ceramide AP

Cholesterol

Salvia Officinalis Oil

Polysorbate 20

Octyldodecanol

Methylpropanediol

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Potassium Hyaluronate

Astaxanthin

Pentylene Glycol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Soluble Collagen

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Oligopeptide-32

Oligopeptide-29

Ceramide EOP

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Oligopeptide-6

Hexapeptide-9

Nonapeptide-1

Limonene

Linalool

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Pentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Betaine, Ceramide NP, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Bakuchiol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Carbomer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, 2,3-Butanediol, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Glyceryl Stearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Sodium Lactate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Polysorbate 20, Octyldodecanol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Methylpropanediol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Astaxanthin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Oligopeptide-32, Oligopeptide-29, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Ceramide EOP, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Oligopeptide-6, Hexapeptide-9, Nonapeptide-1, Limonene, Linalool

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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

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (also known as Argireline) is a synthetic hexapeptide that is often called a "topical Botox alternative".

It works by mimicking how Botox relaxes muscles; it interferes with the signaling process that tells your facial muscles to contract. This can help soften expression lines like forehead wrinkles or crow's feet over time.

The comparison to Botox does have limits because the molecule is water-loving and relatively large.

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 has a hard time absorbing deeply enough through the skin's outer barrier to actually reach the muscles.

So whether it truly works the way Botox does at a biological level is still up for debate, but early clinical outcomes are fairly encouraging.

A 12 week human study of a multi-ingredient regimen containing this ingredient saw:

While some studies have observed improvements in wrinkle appearance, it is important to note that more consistent results are seen in multi-ingredient formulations (vs just Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 alone).

Some research studies also used higher concentrations (up to 10%) while this ingredient is usually found in concentrations up to 0.005% in leave-on formulations.

Acetyl Octapeptide-3 is a synthetic peptide also commonly known as SNAP-8. It is a lab-made peptide often marketed as a gentler, topical alternative to Botox.

It works by mimicking part of a protein involved in muscle contractions, which may help relax facial tension and reduce the appearance of fine lines (mostly around the eyes and forehead).

It’s considered a “next-gen” version of Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8), an older peptide with more research behind it that also supports collagen production.

SNAP-8 showed slightly better results than Argireline in one small manufacturer-funded study, but there’s limited independent research. Plus, most tests use concentrations higher than what’s typically found in skincare products.

This ingredient might offer a subtle smoothing effect but it won't don’t deliver the dramatic results of actual Botox injections.

Think of it more like a supporting actor in your skincare lineup.

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.

You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:

1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV) 2) activate the same genes retinoids do

Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).

The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.

Systematic reviews also back this up:

Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.

The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.

This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

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.

Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a skin repairing ingredient known for its ability to boost collagen, improve firmness, and support skin regeneration.

It is a complex made up of a naturally occurring peptide (glycine-histidine-lysine) and copper, an essential trace element.

While studying wound healing, researchers noticed GHK-Cu stimulated hair follicle enlargement and growth by keeping hair in its active growth phase longer. This has made it a promising ingredient for hair regrowth treatments.

Some people have reported increased facial hair. While GHK-Cu can make your hair follicles bigger, it usually doesn’t turn soft, barely-visible facial hairs into thick, dark ones.

Anecdotal reports suggest that overusing copper peptides might lead to premature aging due to excess free copper or enzyme imbalances. This claim isn’t backed by large-scale studies.

Unfortunately, there are limited human studies for this ingredient. While early results are promising, many studies are either small, in-vitro, or not rigorously controlled.

For example, there is a 1998 study that explored the effects of copper tripeptide, vitamin C, tretinoin, and melatonin on skin repair and collagen synthesis.

After one month, increased procollagen production was seen in 7 out of 10 participants using copper tripeptide (more than those using vitamin C, melatonin, or tretinoin.

While the study was exploratory, it offers early evidence that copper tripeptide may support collagen production. Larger, well-designed trials are still needed to confirm its potential and understand individual responses.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

We don't have a description for Diethoxyethyl Succinate yet.

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.

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%.

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.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.

Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.

The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.

The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.

A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.

It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.

This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.

Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.

Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.

A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.

It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.

Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.

Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.

Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.

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.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate comes from Capric Acid and Polyglycerin-4. It is an emulsifier.

Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. They do this by preventing ingredients from separating, such as oils and water which do not mix naturally.

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.

Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.

Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:

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:

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 Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.

A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.

A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.

More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.

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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