Hylamide SubQ Skin Versus Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx Collagen Serum

Hylamide SubQ Skin Versus Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx Collagen Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract

Saccharide Isomerate

Polyglucuronic Acid

Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract

Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract

Phospholipids

Lecithin

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Hexylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Hydroxide

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Ethoxydiglycol

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Water, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Polyglucuronic Acid, Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Phospholipids, Lecithin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hexylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Collagen

Dimethicone

Butylene Glycol

Polysilicone-11

Caffeine

Squalane

Soluble Collagen

Collagen Amino Acids

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Hydroxyproline

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Hydroxystearic Acid

Magnesium Chloride

Polysorbate 20

Polysorbate 80

Sorbitan Isostearate

Decyl Glucoside

Lauryl Glucoside

Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate

Disodium EDTA

Isohexadecane

Mica

Collagen, Water, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Glycerin, Caffeine, Squalane, Soluble Collagen, Collagen Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyproline, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxystearic Acid, Magnesium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Isohexadecane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Mica

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

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.

Hexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.

It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.

As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.

Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.

This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.

A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.

Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.

This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.

Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).

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.

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.

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.

Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.

Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.

The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).

Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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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