Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Isomers Skincare Laboratories Wrinkle Viper For Expression Lines Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum

Isomers Skincare Laboratories Wrinkle Viper For Expression Lines Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate to soften the look of wrinkle

Isomers Skincare Laboratories Wrinkle Viper For Expression Lines Versus The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C And EGF Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glycerin

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Phenoxyethanol

Tropolone

Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Tropolone

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Sodium Hydroxide

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Benzyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Metabisulfite

Dehydroacetic Acid

Phytic Acid

Oligopeptide-1

Water, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phytic Acid, Oligopeptide-1

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

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

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

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  4. 04Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  5. 05Though 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.
  6. 06Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
  7. 07The 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 …
  8. 08Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
  9. 09Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  10. 10Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  11. 11Your 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.
  12. 12Aquaporin-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.
  13. 13This 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.
  14. 14Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  15. 15Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  16. 16Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
  17. 17It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
  18. 18This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
  19. 19Though 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.
  20. 20Research 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.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

The Inkey List Oat Balm Cleanser

The Inkey List Oat Balm Cleanser The Inkey List Oat Balm Cleanser ingredients explained: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kerne…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →

Product

The Inkey List Multi-Biotic

The Inkey List Multi-Biotic The Inkey List Multi-Biotic ingredients explained: Water (Aqua/Eau), Inulin, Glycerin, Isoamyl Laurate, Propanediol, Squalane, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side