Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum Versus iUNIK Beta Glucan Power Moisture Serum

Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum Versus iUNIK Beta Glucan Power Moisture Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier. This hydrating serum is fo

Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum Versus iUNIK Beta Glucan Power Moisture Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

This hydrating serum is formulated around Beta-Glucan and Adenosine to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Glycerin

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

1,2-Hexanediol

Diheptyl Succinate

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Glycine

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Sodium Hyaluronate

Copper Tripeptide-1

Tocopherol

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Glycine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Sodium Hyaluronate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Tocopherol

Butylene Glycol

Adenosine

Tromethamine

Sodium PCA

Carbomer

Beta-Glucan

Sodium Polyacrylate

Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Adenosine, Tromethamine, Sodium PCA, Carbomer, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Polyacrylate

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.

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

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (also known as Argireline) is a synthetic hexapeptide that is often called a "topical Botox alternative".
  4. 04It works by mimicking how Botox relaxes muscles; it interferes with the signaling process that tells your facial muscles to contract. This can help soften expression lines like forehead wrinkles or crow's feet over time.
  5. 05The comparison to Botox does have limits because the molecule is water-loving and relatively large.
  6. 06Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 has a hard time absorbing deeply enough through the skin's outer barrier to actually reach the muscles.
  7. 07So whether it truly works the way Botox does at a biological level is still up for debate, but early clinical outcomes are fairly encouraging.
  8. 08A 12 week human study of a multi-ingredient regimen containing this ingredient saw:
  9. 09While some studies have observed improvements in wrinkle appearance, it is important to note that more consistent results are seen in multi-ingredient formulations (vs just Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 alone).
  10. 10Some research studies also used higher concentrations (up to 10%) while this ingredient is usually found in concentrations up to 0.005% in leave-on formulations.
  11. 11Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
  12. 12Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
  13. 13Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
  14. 14Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a skin repairing ingredient known for its ability to boost collagen, improve firmness, and support skin regeneration.
  15. 15It is a complex made up of a naturally occurring peptide (glycine-histidine-lysine) and copper, an essential trace element.
  16. 16While studying wound healing, researchers noticed GHK-Cu stimulated hair follicle enlargement and growth by keeping hair in its active growth phase longer. This has made it a promising ingredient for hair regrowth treatments.
  17. 17Some people have reported increased facial hair. While GHK-Cu can make your hair follicles bigger, it usually doesn’t turn soft, barely-visible facial hairs into thick, dark ones.
  18. 18Anecdotal reports suggest that overusing copper peptides might lead to premature aging due to excess free copper or enzyme imbalances. This claim isn’t backed by large-scale studies.
  19. 19Unfortunately, there are limited human studies for this ingredient. While early results are promising, many studies are either small, in-vitro, or not rigorously controlled.
  20. 20For example, there is a 1998 study that explored the effects of copper tripeptide, vitamin C, tretinoin, and melatonin on skin repair and collagen synthesis.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum

Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum Ingredients in Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum explained: benefits, concerns, and detailed analysis of 16 ingredients including Water, Propanediol, and…

Source: skinsort.comView reference →

Product

Nyrah Beauty Glisten Peptide Serum

Nyrah Beauty Glisten Peptide Serum Ingredients in Nyrah Beauty Glisten Peptide Serum explained: benefits, concerns, and detailed analysis of 20 ingredients including Water, Propanediol, and…

Source: skinsort.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side