hyphen 0.05% Retinal Reset Serum Versus Deconstruct Retinol & Peptide Serum

hyphen 0.05% Retinal Reset Serum Versus Deconstruct Retinol & Peptide Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinal and Bakuchiol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Centella Asiatica Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Extract

Ethyl Olivate

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Olive Oil Ethylhexyl Esters

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Propanediol

Squalane

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

PEG-100 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Retinal

Bakuchiol

Carnosine

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Tocotrienols

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Saccharide Isomerate

Panthenol

Allantoin

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Trideceth-6

Sorbitan Laurate

Hyaluronic Acid

Polysorbate 80

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Gluconate

Inulin Lauryl Carbamate

Sucrose Laurate

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Lecithin

Tocopherol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Centella Asiatica Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Ethyl Olivate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Olive Oil Ethylhexyl Esters, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Propanediol, Squalane, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Retinal, Bakuchiol, Carnosine, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Tocotrienols, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Saccharide Isomerate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-6, Sorbitan Laurate, Hyaluronic Acid, Polysorbate 80, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Gluconate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Sucrose Laurate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Rosa Damascena Flower Water

Pisum Sativum Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Retinol

Betaine

Polysorbate 20

Potassium Phosphate

Palmaria Palmata Extract

Xanthan Gum

Amylopectin

Magnesium Aspartate

Zinc Gluconate

Copper Gluconate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Pisum Sativum Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Retinol, Betaine, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Xanthan Gum, Amylopectin, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Sodium Gluconate, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate

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.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.

Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.

The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.

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

This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.

The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.

A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.

Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

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.

This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.

It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.

Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.

Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.

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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