Horace Bio-Retinol + Argireline Peptide Serum Versus Asterwood Naturals Matrixyl 3000 + Argireline Anti Aging Serum

Horace Bio-Retinol + Argireline Peptide Serum Versus Asterwood Naturals Matrixyl 3000 + Argireline Anti Aging Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Saccharomyces Ferment to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Triethyl Citrate

Saccharomyces Ferment

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Xylitylglucoside

Benzyl Alcohol

Anhydroxylitol

Xanthan Gum

Propanediol

Xylitol

Dehydroacetic Acid

Raphanus Sativus Root Extract

Acacia Senegal Gum

Sclerotium Gum

Sodium Hydroxide

Algin

Lecithin

Maltodextrin

Caprylyl Glycol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Citric Acid

Lactic Acid

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Water, Glycerin, Triethyl Citrate, Saccharomyces Ferment, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Xylitylglucoside, Benzyl Alcohol, Anhydroxylitol, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol, Xylitol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Raphanus Sativus Root Extract, Acacia Senegal Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Algin, Lecithin, Maltodextrin, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Butylene Glycol

Carbomer

Polysorbate 20

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Phenoxyethanol

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Benzoic Acid

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Potassium Sorbate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Phenoxyethanol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (also known as Argireline) is a synthetic hexapeptide that is often called a "topical Botox alternative".

It 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.

The comparison to Botox does have limits because the molecule is water-loving and relatively large.

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 has a hard time absorbing deeply enough through the skin's outer barrier to actually reach the muscles.

So whether it truly works the way Botox does at a biological level is still up for debate, but early clinical outcomes are fairly encouraging.

A 12 week human study of a multi-ingredient regimen containing this ingredient saw:

While 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).

Some 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.

Dehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.

As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.

It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

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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