Face Reality Skincare Antioxidant Peptide serum Versus Glymed Plus Restoring Fulvic Elixir

Face Reality Skincare Antioxidant Peptide serum Versus Glymed Plus Restoring Fulvic Elixir

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This calming serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Panthenol to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Phenoxyethanol

Sclerotium Gum

Xanthan Gum

Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate

Benzyl Alcohol

Sodium Gluconate

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Acetyl Tributyl Citrate

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Phenyl T-Butylnitrone

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Gluconate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Phenyl T-Butylnitrone

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Fulvic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Pentylene Glycol

Propanediol

Hypnea Musciformis Extract

Sargassum Filipendula Extract

Sorbitol

Allantoin

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Panthenol

Sodium Hydroxide

Caprylyl Glycol

Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil

Lactose

Gelidiella Acerosa Extract

Phospholipids

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Hexylene Glycol

Glycine Soja Oil

Milk Protein

Polyglutamic Acid

Epilobium Angustifolium Extract

Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Tocopherol

Glycolipids

Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glycine Soja Sterols

Sodium Benzoate

Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract

Sodium Metabisulfite

Coumarin

Limonene

Linalool

Citral

Eugenol

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Fulvic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Lactose, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phospholipids, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Oil, Milk Protein, Polyglutamic Acid, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopherol, Glycolipids, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Sodium Benzoate, Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Eugenol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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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