Dr. Althea Rapid Firm Sculpting Cream Versus Haruharu Wonder Centella Phyto & 5 Peptide Concentrate Cream

Dr. Althea Rapid Firm Sculpting Cream Versus Haruharu Wonder Centella Phyto & 5 Peptide Concentrate Cream

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

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and Madecassoside to soften the look of wrinkles and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Cyclopentasiloxane

Polysorbate 60

Glyceryl Stearate

Palmitic Acid

1,2-Hexanediol

Cyclohexasiloxane

Dimethicone

Benzyl Glycol

Stearic Acid

Sorbitan Sesquioleate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Carbomer

Arginine

Sodium Polyacrylate

Isopentyldiol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Allantoin

Propanediol

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate

Disodium EDTA

Hydrolyzed Corn Starch

Sucrose Palmitate

Dipropylene Glycol

Leontopodium Alpinum Extract

Lauric Acid

Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone

Sucrose

Myristic Acid

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Silk Extract

Salmon Egg Extract

Beta-Glucan

Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Copper Tripeptide-1

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Benzyl Glycol, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Arginine, Sodium Polyacrylate, Isopentyldiol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Propanediol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Sucrose Palmitate, Dipropylene Glycol, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Lauric Acid, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Sucrose, Myristic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Silk Extract, Salmon Egg Extract, Beta-Glucan, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate

Cetyl Alcohol

Cetyl Palmitate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Sorbitan Palmitate

Sorbitan Olivate

Stearyl Alcohol

Xanthan Gum

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Myristyl Alcohol

Squalane

Caffeine

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Pentylene Glycol

Adenosine

Phytosterols

Lauryl Alcohol

Centella Asiatica Extract

Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

Madecassoside

Asiaticoside

Caprylyl Glycol

Xylitylglucoside

Anhydroxylitol

Xylitol

Asiatic Acid

Madecassic Acid

Glucose

Ceramide NP

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract

Oligopeptide-32

Oligopeptide-29

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Myristyl Alcohol, Squalane, Caffeine, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phytosterols, Lauryl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Xylitol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Glucose, Ceramide NP, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Oligopeptide-32, Oligopeptide-29, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

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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.

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.

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

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:

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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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