Elizavecca Milky Piggy EGF Elastic Retinol Cream Versus COSRX Real Fit Retinol Serum

Elizavecca Milky Piggy EGF Elastic Retinol Cream Versus COSRX Real Fit Retinol Serum

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Sh-Oligopeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Calendula Officinalis Extract and Retinyl Palmitate to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Swiftlet Nest Extract

Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil

Beeswax

Cetyl Alcohol

Glycerin

Polysorbate 60

Dipropylene Glycol

Retinol

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sodium Polyacrylate

Allantoin

PEG-100 Stearate

Adenosine

Carbomer

Betaine

Propylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polysorbate 20

Arginine

Alcohol

1,2-Hexanediol

Ceteth-3

Brassica Campestris Sterols

Tocopheryl Acetate

Cetyl Phosphate

Cholesterol

PEG-5 Rapeseed Sterol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water

Sorbitan Sesquioleate

Ceteth-5

Disodium EDTA

Glyceryl Stearate

Parfum

Swiftlet Nest Extract, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Dipropylene Glycol, Retinol, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sodium Polyacrylate, Allantoin, PEG-100 Stearate, Adenosine, Carbomer, Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 20, Arginine, Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ceteth-3, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Phosphate, Cholesterol, PEG-5 Rapeseed Sterol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Ceteth-5, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Stearate, Parfum

Calendula Officinalis Extract

Butylene Glycol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Retinyl Palmitate

Cetearyl Olivate

Panthenol

Arachis Hypogaea Oil

Sorbitan Olivate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Xanthan Gum

Juniperus Mexicana Oil

Tocopherol

Calendula Officinalis Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 60, Betaine, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Retinyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Olivate, Panthenol, Arachis Hypogaea Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Tocopherol

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

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

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.

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

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.

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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