Environ Skin Care Vita Peptide C-Quence Serum 1 Versus Alastin C-Radical Defense Antioxidant Serum

Environ Skin Care Vita Peptide C-Quence Serum 1 Versus Alastin C-Radical Defense Antioxidant Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate and Palmitoyl Oligopeptide to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbate and Ubiquinone to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Glycerin

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

Sorbitol

Tocopheryl Acetate

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate

Sodium Lactate

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Polysorbate 20

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Tribehenin

Ceramide Ng

PEG-10 Phytosterol

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Carbomer

Tea-Lactate

Serine

Lactic Acid

Urea

Allantoin

Retinyl Propionate

Sodium Chloride

Disodium EDTA

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

BHT

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Xanthan Gum

Lycopene

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Ascorbate

Tocopherol

Glucose

Corn Starch Modified

Zea Mays Starch

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Butylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Sorbitol, Tocopheryl Acetate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Sodium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tribehenin, Ceramide Ng, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Carbomer, Tea-Lactate, Serine, Lactic Acid, Urea, Allantoin, Retinyl Propionate, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, BHT, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Xanthan Gum, Lycopene, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Glucose, Corn Starch Modified, Zea Mays Starch, Sodium Benzoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Squalane

Ubiquinone

Ectoin

Physalis Angulata Extract

Betaine

Phosphatidylcholine

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Carnosine

Centella Asiatica Extract

Olea Europaea Leaf Extract

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Ergothioneine

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Bisabolol

Lactoferrin

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Cetyl Alcohol

Propanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Mannitol

Lecithin

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Squalane, Sodium Ascorbate, Ubiquinone, Ectoin, Physalis Angulata Extract, Betaine, Phosphatidylcholine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Carnosine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ergothioneine, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Bisabolol, Lactoferrin, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Propanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Mannitol, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.

In cosmetics, it plays several roles:

The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.

This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.

It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.

Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.

This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.

Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.

Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.

The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).

In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.

So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.

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.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

Sodium Ascorbate is a form of Vitamin C. It is derived from the sodium salt of ascorbic acid.

As a Vitamin C, it is an antioxidant. It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, and reduce the visibility of dark spots.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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