Skin science article
DRMTLGY Needle-less Growth Factor Serum Versus Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster
DRMTLGY Needle-less Growth Factor Serum Versus Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefi
DRMTLGY Needle-less Growth Factor Serum Versus Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Pentylene Glycol
Maltodextrin
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Saccharide Isomerate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Oligopeptide-3
Oligopeptide-2
Oligopeptide-1
Hexapeptide-11
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Ceramide NP
Folic Acid
Phytosphingosine
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Triheptanoin
Swertia Chirata Extract
Phenoxyethanol
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
C9-12 Alkane
Polyurethane-100
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Hydroxide
Lecithin
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Acetyl Glutamine
1,2-Hexanediol
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Decyl Glucoside
Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Caprylyl Glycol
Carbomer
Polysorbate 20
Cholesterol
Xanthan Gum
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Maltodextrin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Oligopeptide-3, Oligopeptide-2, Oligopeptide-1, Hexapeptide-11, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ceramide NP, Folic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Triheptanoin, Swertia Chirata Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C9-12 Alkane, Polyurethane-100, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lecithin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Acetyl Glutamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum
Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Dimethicone
Propanediol
Glyceryl Glucoside
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-72 Amide
Sh-Polypeptide-121
Tridecapeptide-1
Polyglucuronic Acid
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract
Bacillus Ferment
Sodium Phytate
Hexylene Glycol
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Magnesium Chloride
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-72 Amide, Sh-Polypeptide-121, Tridecapeptide-1, Polyglucuronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, C9-12 Alkane, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Bacillus Ferment, Lecithin, Sodium Phytate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hexylene Glycol, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
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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
C9-12 Alkane is synethically created using alkanes, or paraffins. It is added to products as a solvent. This means its main purpose is to help dissolve ingredients and create even texture.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Ceramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
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.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
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.