Skin science article
Cvara Botanicals Majafirm Treatment Serum Versus Educated Mess Freeze Frame Peptide Serum Concentrate
Cvara Botanicals Majafirm Treatment Serum Versus Educated Mess Freeze Frame Peptide Serum Concentrate This anti-aging serum is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract to soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging serum is formulated around Resveratrol an
Cvara Botanicals Majafirm Treatment Serum Versus Educated Mess Freeze Frame Peptide Serum Concentrate
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract to soften the look of wrinkles.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Resveratrol and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Isododecane
Glycerin
Cetyl Esters
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Acetyl Heptapeptide-9
Gold
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-50
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52
Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18
Withania Somnifera Root Extract
Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil
Squalane
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Jojoba Esters
Allantoin
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil
Cetearyl Alcohol
Butylene Glycol
Xanthan Gum
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Phytosterols
Lecithin
Cetyl Alcohol
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Ceteareth-20
Tocopheryl Acetate
Ceteth-10
Laureth-4
Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3
Dimethicone
Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Citric Acid
Polyvinyl Alcohol
1,2-Hexanediol
Vanillin
Hydroxyacetophenone
Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isododecane, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Acetyl Heptapeptide-9, Gold, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-50, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Allantoin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Phytosterols, Lecithin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Ceteareth-20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceteth-10, Laureth-4, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Dimethicone, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Citric Acid, Polyvinyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vanillin, Hydroxyacetophenone
Acetamidoethoxyethanol
Propylene Glycol
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
Cyclopentasiloxane
Polysorbate 20
Menthyl Lactate
Resveratrol
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Diamond Powder
Methylglucoside Phosphate
Copper Lysinate/Prolinate
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Glyceryl Caprylate
Phenylpropanol
Phenoxyethanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Water, Glycerin, Acetamidoethoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysorbate 20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Menthyl Lactate, Resveratrol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-50, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18, Diamond Powder, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
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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
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
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.
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate is a synthetic targeting peptide. It's made up of seven amino acids with a palmitic acid tail attached.
This fatty acid attachment increases the molecule's hydrophobicity, improves stability, reduces enzyme degradation, and enhances its ability to cross the skin's lipid barrier (this is a common challenge for peptides).
As a targeting peptide, it sits on the outer shell of an encapsulated ingredient system and seeks out receptors on collagen and elastin producing cells in skin.
Once it binds, the cell internalizes the capsule and releases the active payload inside; it essentially acts as a GPS guiding ingredients to the right place.
It also mimicks the skin's natural growth factors to support skin firmness by upping production of collagen, elastin, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).
Most of the evidence for this ingredient comes from manufacturer in vitro data, so independent clinical trials are still limited. However, the underlying mechanism is well-supported by the broader cosmetic peptide literature.
Fungal acne note: Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.
Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
This ingredient is a combination of two AHAs, lactic acid and glycolic acid. It has exfoliating properties
Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18 is a peptide.
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52 is a peptide.
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-50 is a peptide.
We don't have a description for Polyvinyl Alcohol yet.
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.
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!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.