Skin science article
DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream Versus Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer
DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream Versus Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles. This moisturizer is formulated aroun
DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream Versus Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer
This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.
This moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glyceryl Stearate
Propanediol
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Glycerin
Isopropyl Palmitate
Undecane
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Cetyl Alcohol
Dimethicone
PEG-100 Stearate
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Ceramide NP
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Phytosphingosine
Cholesterol
Tridecane
Allantoin
Tocopherol
Glycol Distearate
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Butylene Glycol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Carbomer
Polysorbate 20
Dextran
Magnesium Chloride
Phenoxyethanol
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Xanthan Gum
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Propanediol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Undecane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Tridecane, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Glycol Distearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Dextran, Magnesium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Pyrus Malus Juice
Vitis Vinifera Juice
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Citrus Limon Juice
Stearyl Alcohol
Stearic Acid
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Sorbate
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Panthenol
Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil
Isomalt
Lecithin
Ethyl Linalool
Geraniol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Pyrus Malus Juice, Vitis Vinifera Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Citrus Limon Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil, Isomalt, Lecithin, Ethyl Linalool, Geraniol
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
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%.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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.