Skin science article
COSRX The Peptide Collagen Hydrogel Eye Patch Versus DRMTLGY Brightening Eye Masks
COSRX The Peptide Collagen Hydrogel Eye Patch Versus DRMTLGY Brightening Eye Masks This anti-aging eye mask is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles. This brightening eye mask is formulated around Caffeine and Ni
COSRX The Peptide Collagen Hydrogel Eye Patch Versus DRMTLGY Brightening Eye Masks
This anti-aging eye mask is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles.
This brightening eye mask is formulated around Caffeine and Niacinamide to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Dipropylene Glycol
Glycerin
Niacinamide
Ceratonia Siliqua Gum
Chondrus Crispus Powder
Chondrus Crispus
Cellulose Gum
Hydroxyacetophenone
Algin
Caprylyl Glycol
Potassium Chloride
Betaine
Panthenol
Sucrose
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Polyacrylate
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Adenosine
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Maltodextrin
Caffeine
Collagen
Butylene Glycol
Cyanocobalamin
1,2-Hexanediol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Pantolactone
Pentylene Glycol
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Sh-Polypeptide-121
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Potassium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Citric Acid
Disodium EDTA
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Chondrus Crispus, Cellulose Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Betaine, Panthenol, Sucrose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Adenosine, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Maltodextrin, Caffeine, Collagen, Butylene Glycol, Cyanocobalamin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Pantolactone, Pentylene Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Sh-Polypeptide-121, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Hizikia Fusiforme Extract
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Gelidium Cartilagineum Extract
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Mica
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Polysorbate 20
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
CI 77891
Trideceth-6
Phenoxyethanol
CI 77491
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Betaine, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Cellulose Gum, Hyaluronic Acid, Caffeine, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hizikia Fusiforme Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Gelidium Cartilagineum Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Mica, Sodium Polyacrylate, Potassium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Sucrose, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, CI 77891, Trideceth-6, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77491
Reviews
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 Tetrapeptide-5 is a peptide that goes by another name, eyeseryl, due to claims that it can help reduce eye puffiness.
The manufacturer claims this ingredient reduces eye puffiness by:
An in-vivo study from the manufacturer found 95% of volunteers saw eye bag improvement by the end of the study.
Eye puffiness is caused by two major factors: fluid retention and fat.
Those with fluid retention may see improvement from using this ingredient. However, those with eye fat will need surgical intervention in order to get rid of puffiness.
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.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Cellulose Gum is a water-soluble polymer that comes from cellulose. It is used to change the texture of a product and to help stabilize emulsions.
As an emulsifier, cellulose gum specifically thicken the texture of water-based products.
This ingredient is considered hypoallergenic and non-toxic. Cellulose Gum can be found in cosmetics, food, and other household goods such as paper products.
Ceratonia Siliqua Gum is extracted from the seeds of the carob tree. You might know this ingredient as Carob Gum or Locust Bean Gum. It is used to stabilize other ingredients and improve the texture of products.
Carob gum is made up of long-chain polysaccharides. This makes it a natural thickener.
Yes! This ingredient comes from the seeds of a tree. The name 'Locust Bean Gum' can be misleading.
Chondrus Crispus Powder is an exfoliant.
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:
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.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 is a synthetic signal lipopeptide. This just means it is a three amino acid chain bolted onto a palmitic acid tail so it can slip through the skin's lipid barrier.
This peptide has a "build more, lose less" approach.
It's designed to mimic the collagen-stimulating activity in your skin by copying a snippet of one of your skin's own matrix proteins. This nudges fibroblasts into making more collagen while inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down skin protein.
The manufacturer's in vivo study of 45 volunteers found 1% and 2.5% reduced the appearance of wrinkles by 7% and 12% respectively, after using it twice daily for 84 days.
This is in the expected range for peptides; they're slow and cumulative actives and not overnight fixers.
Typical use levels range from 1-3% and this ingredient gets along with pretty much everything.
On the fungal acne front: Although palmitic acid sits in the chain length that Malassezia can feed on, this ingredient has it locked in an amine bond. This makes it hard for Malassezia to access as a source of food, and therefore fungal acne safe.
We don't have a description for Potassium Chloride yet.
Sodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Sucrose is a natural sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It is the main constituent of white sugar.
In skincare, sucrose is a humectant and can be a mild exfoliant.
Sucrose is hydrophilic, meaning it attracts water. This makes it an effective humectant and helps hydrate the skin.
Studies show sugars may worsen acne-prone skin due to it disrupting the skin's natural biome. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
In some products such as body scrubs, sucrose is used as an gentle exfoliant.
The term 'sucrose' comes from the french word for sugar, 'sucre'.
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!