Skin science article
DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream Versus Rovectin Barrier Repair Face & Body Cream
DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream Versus Rovectin Barrier Repair Face & Body Cream This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concern
DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream Versus Rovectin Barrier Repair Face & Body Cream
This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.
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
Panthenol
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
1,2-Hexanediol
Astaxanthin
Prunus Persica Kernel Oil
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Pentylene Glycol
Tromethamine
Caprylyl Glycol
Sodium Phytate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Astaxanthin, Prunus Persica Kernel Oil, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Pentylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Hydrogenated Lecithin
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
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%.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
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.
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.
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!