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K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Ampoule Versus MediCube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Ampoule Versus MediCube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum This anti-aging ampoule is formulated around Collagen Extract and Bifida Ferment Filtrate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin. This anti-aging serum is formulated aro

K-Secret Collagen Boosting Secret Ampoule Versus MediCube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

This anti-aging ampoule is formulated around Collagen Extract and Bifida Ferment Filtrate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium DNA to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Collagen Extract

Methylpropanediol

Bifida Ferment Filtrate

Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Carbomer

PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24

Tromethamine

Hyaluronic Acid

Adenosine

Parfum

Disodium EDTA

Panthenol

Lactobacillus Ferment

Ethylhexylglycerin

Collagen

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone

Lactococcus Ferment Extract

Bifida Ferment Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Yeast Extract

Tocopherol

Water, Collagen Extract, Methylpropanediol, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Tromethamine, Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Ethylhexylglycerin, Collagen, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Lactococcus Ferment Extract, Bifida Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Yeast Extract, Tocopherol

Dipropylene Glycol

Isopropyl Myristate

Glycereth-26

Niacinamide

Sodium DNA

Polyglycerin-3

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Polyisobutene

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Milt Extract

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Caprylyl Glycol

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Sorbitan Oleate

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Cyanocobalamin

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Ubiquinone

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Copper Tripeptide-1

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Salmon Egg Extract

Atelocollagen

Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium DNA, Butylene Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Milt Extract, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sorbitan Oleate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Ubiquinone, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Salmon Egg Extract, Atelocollagen

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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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

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.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Tromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.

It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.

This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.

Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.

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. 031,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
  4. 04It is a:
  5. 05Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  6. 06Emollient, helping to soften skin
  7. 07Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  8. 08Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
  9. 09Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (also known as Argireline) is a synthetic hexapeptide that is often called a "topical Botox alternative".
  10. 10It works by mimicking how Botox relaxes muscles; it interferes with the signaling process that tells your facial muscles to contract. This can help soften expression lines like forehead wrinkles or crow's feet over time.
  11. 11The comparison to Botox does have limits because the molecule is water-loving and relatively large.
  12. 12Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 has a hard time absorbing deeply enough through the skin's outer barrier to actually reach the muscles.
  13. 13So whether it truly works the way Botox does at a biological level is still up for debate, but early clinical outcomes are fairly encouraging.
  14. 14A 12 week human study of a multi-ingredient regimen containing this ingredient saw:
  15. 15While some studies have observed improvements in wrinkle appearance, it is important to note that more consistent results are seen in multi-ingredient formulations (vs just Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 alone).
  16. 16Some research studies also used higher concentrations (up to 10%) while this ingredient is usually found in concentrations up to 0.005% in leave-on formulations.
  17. 17Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
  18. 18The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
  19. 19Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down o…
  20. 20The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

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MediCube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

MediCube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum Ingredients in MediCube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum Salmon DNA explained: benefits, concerns, and detailed analysis of 40 ingredients including Water, Glycerin,…

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Neogen Real Peptide Serum

Neogen Real Peptide Serum Ingredients in Neogen Real Peptide Serum explained: benefits, concerns, and detailed analysis of 44 ingredients including Water, Dipropylene Glycol, and Propanedio…

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03

Comparison edit

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