Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

ISEHAN Heroine Make Eyelash Serum Ex Versus The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash And Brow Serum

ISEHAN Heroine Make Eyelash Serum Ex Versus The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash And Brow Serum What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Butylene Glycol Glycerin Triethanolamine Carbomer Phenoxyethanol Methylparaben Disodium ED

ISEHAN Heroine Make Eyelash Serum Ex Versus The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash And Brow Serum

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Triethanolamine

Carbomer

Phenoxyethanol

Methylparaben

Disodium EDTA

Panthenol

Betaine

Alcohol

Hydrolyzed Keratin

Sodium PCA

Sorbitol

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Ethyl Ester Of Hydrolyzed Silk

Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract

Serine

Morus Alba Root Extract

Swertia Japonica Extract

Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract

Glycine

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Glutamic Acid

Polyquaternium-51

Alanine

Arginine

Lysine

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Threonine

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Proline

Royal Jelly Extract

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Soluble Collagen

Propylparaben

Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Betaine, Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sodium PCA, Sorbitol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Ethyl Ester Of Hydrolyzed Silk, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Serine, Morus Alba Root Extract, Swertia Japonica Extract, Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract, Glycine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Glutamic Acid, Polyquaternium-51, Alanine, Arginine, Lysine, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Threonine, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Proline, Royal Jelly Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Soluble Collagen, Propylparaben, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17

Oligopeptide-2

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3

Caffeine

Glycoproteins

Larix Europaea Wood Extract

Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Dextran

Maltodextrin

Zinc Chloride

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Xanthan Gum

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Metabisulfite

Caprylyl Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Sodium Benzoate

Benzoic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Chlorphenesin

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Caffeine, Panthenol, Arginine, Glycine, Glycoproteins, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dextran, Maltodextrin, Zinc Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Metabisulfite, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

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.

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.

It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.

A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.

Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.

One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.

Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.

Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 is a lab-made molecule that combines two parts: biotin (vitamin B7) and Tripeptide-1. Together, they form a peptide that’s often used in hair and eyelash products.

In-vitro studies show this ingredient helps hair bulb cells grow faster and product more structual proteins. This helps keep hair securely anchored in the follicle.

A small human study using a mascara with 2% Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 reported lashes that were about 17% longer and 19% thicker after one month.

One study from 2025 compared topical spray vs. a combined tropical/oral treatment. The combination group saw greater increases in total hair count.

While these early results are encouraging, most of the data comes from in-vitro experiments (in test tubes) or small, short-term trials.

Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 looks promising for supporting hair strength and growth but there’s not yet strong clinical evidence to confirm how well it works.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

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.

Glycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons