Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

IMAGE skincare Ormedic Sheer Pink Lip Enhancement Complex Versus rhode Peptide Lip Treatment

IMAGE skincare Ormedic Sheer Pink Lip Enhancement Complex Versus rhode Peptide Lip Treatment This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Persea Gratissima Oil and Atelocollagen to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips. This anti-aging lip moist

IMAGE skincare Ormedic Sheer Pink Lip Enhancement Complex Versus rhode Peptide Lip Treatment

This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Persea Gratissima Oil and Atelocollagen to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips.

This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer

Persea Gratissima Oil

Phenyl Trimethicone

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer

Tribehenin

Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer

Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Aroma

Tocopheryl Acetate

Mica

Limonene

CI 77891

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Atelocollagen

Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract

Tocopherol

Linalool

Citral

Tin Oxide

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Oryzanol

Ubiquinone

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Persea Gratissima Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Tribehenin, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Aroma, Tocopheryl Acetate, Mica, Limonene, CI 77891, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Atelocollagen, Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract, Tocopherol, Linalool, Citral, Tin Oxide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Oryzanol, Ubiquinone

Diisostearyl Malate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Polybutene

Microcrystalline Wax

Synthetic Beeswax

Synthetic Wax

Octyldodecanol

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate

Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate

Triethyl Citrate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil

Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter

Lactic Acid

Stevioside

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Disteardimonium Hectorite

O-Cymen-5-Ol

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Diisostearyl Malate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polybutene, Microcrystalline Wax, Synthetic Beeswax, Synthetic Wax, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Triethyl Citrate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Lactic Acid, Tribehenin, Stevioside, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Disteardimonium Hectorite, O-Cymen-5-Ol

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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.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid.

In cosmetics, it plays many roles:

One thing worth noting: a controlled study found this ingredient applied under occlusion to acne-prone subjects increased microcomedones. Just keep in mind this was under occlusive conditions and don't reflect how most products are used day-to-day.

For most people, this is a well-tolerated and lightweight ingredient.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is an ester of palmitic acid, a C16 fatty acid that falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer. Polymers are compounds with high molecular weight. Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is an emollient and texture enhancer.

In one study, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene showed better skin hydration levels than Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride. As an emollient, it helps keep your skin soft and hydrated by trapping moisture in.

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is often used as a mineral oil replacement.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.

That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.

Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.

In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.

Human clinical data is promising, but modest:

A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.

A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.

You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.

Fungal acne note: Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.

In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.

Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

Tribehenin is the triglyceride of glycerin and behenic acid. It is an emollient that helps soften and condition skin.

Safety-wise, this is a well-vetted ingredient. Repeated-insult patch tests of 0.38% tribehenin did not trigger sensitization.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because behenic acid falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia yeasts can feed on.

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

Image Skincare I Mask Firming Transformation MaskIngredients explained

  1. 01Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product.
  2. 02It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water.
  3. 03Expand to read more
  4. 04Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) is drying.
  5. 05One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Like this, the products can stay more stable over time.
  6. 06Aloe Vera is one of today’s magic plants. It does have some very nice properties indeed, though famous dermatologist Leslie Baumann warns us in her book that most of the evidence is anecdotal and the plant might be a bit overhyped.
  7. 07What research does confirm about Aloe is that it’s a great moisturizer and has several anti-inflammatory (among others contains salicylates, polysaccharides, magnesium lactate and C-glucosyl chromone) as well as some antibacterial components. It als…
  8. 08We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
  9. 09A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  10. 10A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  11. 11Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  12. 12Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  13. 13High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
  14. 14When it comes to oil-absorbing clay masks, bentonite will probably be one of the first ingredients on the INCI list. Technically bentonite clay is mostly montmorillonite + something else, and thanks to the something else bit, bentonite comes in diff…
  15. 15The color depends on the mineral content of the clay: white bentonite is rich in boron and fluoride, yellow is rich in manganese and zinc, green is rich in copper, zinc, and manganese and the pink clay is rich in boron.
  16. 16No matter the color, bentonite is excellent at absorbing things: it can suck up the sebum and gunk from the skin and make it instantly smooth and matte. Not only that, but bentonite has a negative ionic charge and thus can attract things with a posi…
  17. 17Thanks to bentonite's effect against bad bacteria and pathogens, there is also some research showing that bentonite can help to calm skin infections, soothe skin allergies and might work for skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
  18. 18On the other hand, the downside of bentonite being such a good absorbent is that it can suck up more than the excess sebum and used too often, it can easily dry out the skin. So use it for good measure, and never forget to moisturize afterwards.
  19. 19A clear, colorless and odorless, highly volatile (meaning it does not absorb into the skin but evaporates from it) liquid that's used as an emollient. It gives a nice non-oily light skin feel and it can improve the slip of the formula without leavin…
  20. 20It's also popular in make-up products as its volatility makes mascaras and foundations last longer. If that would not be enough, it's also an excellent solvent, and it's a regular not only on the ingredients lists of make-ups but also on makeup removers.
Source · incidecoder.com
02

Product index

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Comparison edit

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