Skin science article
KORA Organics Plant Stem Cell Retinol Alternative Moisturizer Versus Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer
KORA Organics Plant Stem Cell Retinol Alternative Moisturizer Versus Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Bakuchiol to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin. This anti-aging
KORA Organics Plant Stem Cell Retinol Alternative Moisturizer Versus Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Bakuchiol to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Glycerin
Cetearyl Alcohol
Coconut Alkanes
Water
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Lactobacillus Ferment
Sorbitan Olivate
Cetearyl Olivate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Bakuchiol
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Lactobacillus
Ceramide NP
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Hydrolyzed Eragrostis Tef Seed Extract
Sclerotium Gum
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Potassium Sorbate
Medicago Sativa Extract
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Citric Acid
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Sodium Phytate
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Sodium Benzoate
Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Tocopherol
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Alcohol
Linalool
Citronellol
Geraniol
Limonene
Farnesol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coconut Alkanes, Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Bakuchiol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Lactobacillus, Ceramide NP, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydrolyzed Eragrostis Tef Seed Extract, Sclerotium Gum, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Medicago Sativa Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Citric Acid, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Sodium Phytate, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Alcohol, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Farnesol
Dimethicone
Squalane
Glyceryl Stearate
Cetyl Alcohol
Niacinamide
Stearyl Alcohol
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Pantolactone
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Panthenol
Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
Honokiol
Magnolol
Palmitic Acid
Sorbitan Oleate
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Hydroxyacetophenone
Stearic Acid
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
1,2-Hexanediol
Boron Nitride
Caprylyl Glycol
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Isohexadecane
Butylene Glycol
Chlorphenesin
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tocopheryl Acetate
Polysorbate 80
Sorbitan Palmitate
Sodium Hydroxide
Carbomer
Sodium Lactate
Phenoxyethanol
Polysorbate 20
Ethylhexylglycerin
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Stearyl Alcohol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Pantolactone, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Honokiol, Magnolol, Palmitic Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Stearic Acid, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Boron Nitride, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Isohexadecane, Butylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate
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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.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
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!