Skin science article
iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Extreme Cream Firming & Lifting Moisturizer Versus Dieux Skin Air Angel Peptide Plumping Gel Cream
iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Extreme Cream Firming & Lifting Moisturizer Versus Dieux Skin Air Angel Peptide Plumping Gel Cream This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76 to soften the look of wrin
iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Extreme Cream Firming & Lifting Moisturizer Versus Dieux Skin Air Angel Peptide Plumping Gel Cream
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76 to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 and Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
C13-15 Alkane
Squalane
Propanediol
Polyglyceryl-5 Polyricinoleate
Bisabolol
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Glycerin
Magnesium Sulfate
Panthenol
Glyceryl Behenate
1,2-Hexanediol
Butylene Glycol
Heptapeptide-7
Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Ceramide NP
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Allantoin
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Arginine
Glycosphingolipids
Phytosphingosine
Cholesterol
Tetraacetylphytosphingosine
Polyglyceryl-6 Octastearate
Stearic Acid
Cetearyl Alcohol
Glyceryl Glucoside
Glyceryl Stearate
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Lecithin
Xanthan Gum
Tocopherol
Carnosine
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate
Phenoxyethanol
Citric Acid
Quaternium-90 Bentonite
Mica
Triethyl Citrate
Zinc Stearate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Gluconolactone
Calcium Gluconate
Hydroxyacetophenone
Water, C13-15 Alkane, Squalane, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-5 Polyricinoleate, Bisabolol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Magnesium Sulfate, Panthenol, Glyceryl Behenate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Heptapeptide-7, Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Allantoin, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Arginine, Glycosphingolipids, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Tetraacetylphytosphingosine, Polyglyceryl-6 Octastearate, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Carnosine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Quaternium-90 Bentonite, Mica, Triethyl Citrate, Zinc Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Calcium Gluconate, Hydroxyacetophenone
Dimethicone
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Methylpropanediol
Cetyl Alcohol
Meadowfoam Estolide
Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
Tribehenin
Sodium PCA
Urea
Carbomer
Caprylyl Glycol
Collagen Amino Acids
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Trehalose
Linoleic Acid
Phytosterols
Phospholipids
Palmitic Acid
Polysorbate 60
Sorbitan Isostearate
Ceramide Ng
Hexylene Glycol
PEG-10 Phytosterol
Polyquaternium-51
Triacetin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Sodium Hydroxide
Lactic Acid
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methylpropanediol, Squalane, Cetyl Alcohol, Meadowfoam Estolide, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Tribehenin, Sodium PCA, Urea, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Collagen Amino Acids, Propanediol, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Trehalose, Linoleic Acid, Phytosterols, Phospholipids, Palmitic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ceramide Ng, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic 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.
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.
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.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
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!