Geek & Gorgeous Power Peptides Serum Versus Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum

Geek & Gorgeous Power Peptides Serum Versus Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This hydrating serum is formulated around Squalane and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Panthenol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Dicaprylyl Ether

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate

Tetrapeptide-21

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14

Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate

Saccharide Isomerate

Allantoin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Tapioca Starch

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Polysorbate 20

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer

Polyvinyl Alcohol

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Tetrapeptide-21, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Saccharide Isomerate, Allantoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Tapioca Starch, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Propanediol

Squalane

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Copper Tripeptide-1

Acmella Oleracea Extract

Ectoin

Tetrapeptide-30

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52

Copper PCA

Sodium Polyglutamate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Acacia Senegal Gum

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Ectoin, Tetrapeptide-30, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, Copper PCA, Panthenol, Sodium Polyglutamate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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!

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