Dr. Althea Reju 5000 Cream Versus MediCube PDRN Pink Peptide Cream

Dr. Althea Reju 5000 Cream Versus MediCube PDRN Pink Peptide Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Centella Asiatica Leaf Water and Panthenol to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Sodium DNA 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

Centella Asiatica Leaf Water

1,2-Hexanediol

Panthenol

Glycerin

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Sodium DNA

Butylene Glycol

Dicaprylyl Ether

Tocopherol

Vinyldimethicone

Dimethiconol

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Caprylyl Methicone

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Pentylene Glycol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Aminomethyl Propanediol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Xanthan Gum

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Phytate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Beta-Sitosterol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate

Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate

Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment

Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Sodium DNA, Butylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Tocopherol, Vinyldimethicone, Dimethiconol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylyl Methicone, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beta-Sitosterol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment

Glycereth-26

Cyclopentasiloxane

Niacinamide

Isononyl Isononanoate

Ethylhexyl Olivate

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate

Disodium EDTA

Betaine

Citric Acid

Parfum

Adenosine

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Sorbitan Isostearate

Rosa Damascena Extract

Cyanocobalamin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Stearic Acid

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Ceramide NP

Prunella Vulgaris Extract

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract

Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract

Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract

Ceramide Ns

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Cholesterol

Phytosphingosine

Ceramide As

Ceramide AP

Copper Tripeptide-1

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Potassium Hyaluronate

Ceramide EOP

Water, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Parfum, Adenosine, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Rosa Damascena Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Sodium DNA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Prunella Vulgaris Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Ceramide Ns, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Hyaluronic Acid, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Potassium Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP

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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

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.

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%.

Cetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.

You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.

These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.

This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.

Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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 Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer is made up of glycerin and polyacrylic acid. It helps hydrate your skin as a humectant.

This ingredient forms a hydrogel that delivers moisturizing, water-based ingredients to the skin. It is also used to thicken a product and to give it a smooth texture.

Acrylic acid itself is toxic, but the polymer form (this ingredient) is too large to penetrate skin, making it non-toxic.

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).

Hydrogenated Polydecene is a synthetic emollient. It forms a non-occlusive film on the skin's surface to provide a silky feel without being greasy.

In vivo studies in volunteers with atopic and dry skin showed no irritation or intolerance. The volunteers also saw a positive effect in dryness, scaling, and roughness after 28 days of use.

Concentrations up to 100% in guinea pig tests found it to be non-sensitizing and completely safe for use in cosmetics.

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.

This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.

It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.

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.

Sodium DNA is an emerging anti-aging ingredient.

It is created by taking deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and purifying it with sodium hydroxide.

The DNA is extracted from several different animal sources, including: calf thymus, the gonadic tissue of a male sturgeon, or herring / salmon sperm.

You have probably seen this ingredient in anti-aging skincare. But what is it?

DNA is composed of nucleotides, or chemical building blocks. Nucleotides include adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). Talk about a flashback to biology! Nucleosides are formed from these nucleotides.

The science behind Sodium DNA is based on an ingredient called Polydeoxyribonucleotide or PDRN.

PDRN are DNA fragments mainly extracted from the sperm cells of trout or salmon. Meaning, PDRN can be derived from Sodium DNA.

PDRN consists of chains of nucleotides and nucleosides mentioned above. They can range anywhere from 80 - 2000 pairs.

Studies show PDRN has the following properties:

Most of the research on PDRN has been done using injectable forms. That’s important, because PDRN is a large molecule and doesn’t absorb well through the skin. So if you’re applying it topically, the effects are likely to be much milder.

Still, topical Sodium DNA is emerging as a trendy anti-aging ingredient. It’s generally well-tolerated and offers good biocompatibility with human skin, making it a low-risk addition to most routines.

Further studies are needed to truly confirm this ingredients anti-aging ability (Remember, retinol has decades of research!).

Sodium DNA may be sourced from fish, animal tissue, or plants. Since this isn’t always disclosed, we recommend asking the brand directly if the ingredient’s origin is important to you.

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.

Sorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.

This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.

This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.

According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.

Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.

Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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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