Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

IMAGE skincare PREVENTION+ Daily Matte Moisturizer SPF 32+ Versus SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF50+ PA++++

IMAGE skincare PREVENTION+ Daily Matte Moisturizer SPF 32+ Versus SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF50+ PA++++ This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 32. This chemical sunscreen covers the full

IMAGE skincare PREVENTION+ Daily Matte Moisturizer SPF 32+ Versus SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF50+ PA++++

This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~97% of UVB at SPF 32.

This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Zinc Oxide 9.3%

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%

Water

Cyclopentasiloxane

Isodecyl Neopentanoate

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer

Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Methacrylamidolauric Acid Copolymer

Caprylyl Methicone

Phenoxyethanol

Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Cetearyl Dimethicone

Polyisobutene

Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Hexyl Dimethicone

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Panthenol

Polysorbate 20

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hyaluronate

Erythritol

Lecithin

Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract

PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Homarine Hcl

Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract

Micrococcus Lysate

Plankton Extract

Ergothioneine

Phospholipids

Zinc Oxide 9.3%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Methacrylamidolauric Acid Copolymer, Caprylyl Methicone, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Cetearyl Dimethicone, Polyisobutene, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Hexyl Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Erythritol, Lecithin, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Homarine Hcl, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Micrococcus Lysate, Plankton Extract, Ergothioneine, Phospholipids

Dibutyl Adipate

Propanediol

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol

Niacinamide

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone

1,2-Hexanediol

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Behenyl Alcohol

Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Decyl Glucoside

Tromethamine

Carbomer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Adenosine

Centella Asiatica Extract

T-Butyl Alcohol

Betula Platyphylla Japonica Bark Extract

Tocopherol

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract

Brassica Oleracea Italica Sprout Extract

Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract

Eruca Sativa Leaf Extract

Medicago Sativa Extract

Triticum Vulgare Sprout Extract

Inositol

Hyaluronic Acid

Water, Dibutyl Adipate, Propanediol, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Niacinamide, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylyl Methicone, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Decyl Glucoside, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Centella Asiatica Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Bark Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Sprout Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Eruca Sativa Leaf Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Triticum Vulgare Sprout Extract, Inositol, Hyaluronic Acid

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.

Caprylyl Methicone is a synthetic and lightweight silicone fluid. It gives products a silky, dry-touch finish without the heaviness of pure oils.

Though the EU CosIng Database lists this ingredient as a skin conditioner, it is also used for sensory reasons. It spreads easily, cuts greasiness, and reduces tackiness.

This ingredient is volatile which means it will mostly evaporate (but it evaporates slower than older cyclomethicones, like Cyclotetrasiloxane).

Typical concentration ranges from 1-30% depending on if it's being used to tweak the feel of a product or acting as the main emollient.

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.

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.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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 Daily Tinted Moisturizer Spf 30Ingredients explained

  1. 01When it comes to sunscreen agents, Zinc Oxide is pretty much in a league of its own. It's a physical (or inorganic) sunscreen that has a lot in common with fellow inorganic sunscreen Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) but a couple of things make it superior ev…
  2. 02If physical sunscreens don't tell you anything, go ahead and read about the basics here. Most of what we wrote about Titanium Dioxide is also true for Zinc Oxide so we will focus here on the differences.
  3. 03Expand to read more
  4. 04The first main difference is that while TiO2 gives a nice broad spectrum protection, Zinc Oxide has an even nicer and even broader spectrum protection. It protects against UVB, UVA II, and UVA I almost uniformly, and is considered to be the broadest…
  5. 05It's also highly stable and non-irritating. So much so that Zinc Oxide also counts as a skin protectant and anti-irritant. It's also often used to treat skin irritations such as diaper rash.
  6. 06As for the disadvantages, Zinc Oxide is also not cosmetically elegant. It leaves a disturbing whitish tint on the skin, although, according to a 2000 research paper by Dr. Pinnell, it's slightly less white than TiO2. Still, it's white and disturbing…
  7. 07We wrote more about nanoparticles and the concerns around them here, but the gist is that if nanoparticles were absorbed into the skin that would be a reason for legitimate health concerns. But luckily, so far research shows that sunscreen nanoparti…
  8. 08All in all, if you've found a Zinc Oxide sunscreen that you are happy to use every single day, that's fantastic and we suggest you stick with it. It's definitely one of the best, or probably even the best option out there for sun protection availabl…
  9. 09Good 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.
  10. 10It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water.
  11. 11Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) is drying.
  12. 12One 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.
  13. 13A super common emollient that makes your skin feel nice and smooth. It comes from coconut oil and glycerin, it’s light-textured, clear, odorless and non-greasy. It’s a nice ingredient that just feels good on the skin, is super well tolerated by ever…
  14. 14A super commonly used 5 unit long, cyclic structured silicone that is water-thin and does not stay on the skin but evaporates from it (called volatile silicone). Similar to other silicones, it gives skin and hair a silky, smooth feel.
  15. 15It's often combined with the non-volatile (i.e. stays on the skin) dimethicone as the two together form a water-resistant, breathable protective barrier on the skin without a negative tacky feel.
  16. 16A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  17. 17A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  18. 18Not 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
  19. 19Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  20. 20High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
Source · incidecoder.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Image Skincare The MAX Créme

Image Skincare The MAX Créme Image Skincare The MAX Créme ingredients explained: Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Sucrose Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocop…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side