ma:nyo Bifida Biome Complex Ampoule Versus Mary & May 6 Peptide Complex Serum

ma:nyo Bifida Biome Complex Ampoule Versus Mary & May 6 Peptide Complex Serum

This barrier-repair ampoule is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Copper Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Glycerin

Niacinamide

1,2-Hexanediol

Pentylene Glycol

Squalane

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Bifida Ferment Filtrate

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Lactococcus Ferment Lysate

Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate

Carbomer

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Tromethamine

Xanthan Gum

Propanediol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Dextrin

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Phytate

Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate

Cutibacterium Granulosum Ferment Extract Filtrate

Caffeine

Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract

Physalis Alkekengi Calyx Extract

Hydrolyzed Algin

Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Benzyl Glycol

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Asiatic Acid

Asiaticoside

Madecassic Acid

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Hyaluronic Acid

Copper Tripeptide-1

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Potassium Hyaluronate

Water, Butylene Glycol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Phytate, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Cutibacterium Granulosum Ferment Extract Filtrate, Caffeine, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Physalis Alkekengi Calyx Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Benzyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Potassium Hyaluronate

Glycereth-26

Arginine

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexapeptide-11

Hexapeptide-9

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Tripeptide-1

Water, Glycereth-26, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Arginine, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Adenosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-11, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1

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.

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.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a skin repairing ingredient known for its ability to boost collagen, improve firmness, and support skin regeneration.

It is a complex made up of a naturally occurring peptide (glycine-histidine-lysine) and copper, an essential trace element.

While studying wound healing, researchers noticed GHK-Cu stimulated hair follicle enlargement and growth by keeping hair in its active growth phase longer. This has made it a promising ingredient for hair regrowth treatments.

Some people have reported increased facial hair. While GHK-Cu can make your hair follicles bigger, it usually doesn’t turn soft, barely-visible facial hairs into thick, dark ones.

Anecdotal reports suggest that overusing copper peptides might lead to premature aging due to excess free copper or enzyme imbalances. This claim isn’t backed by large-scale studies.

Unfortunately, there are limited human studies for this ingredient. While early results are promising, many studies are either small, in-vitro, or not rigorously controlled.

For example, there is a 1998 study that explored the effects of copper tripeptide, vitamin C, tretinoin, and melatonin on skin repair and collagen synthesis.

After one month, increased procollagen production was seen in 7 out of 10 participants using copper tripeptide (more than those using vitamin C, melatonin, or tretinoin.

While the study was exploratory, it offers early evidence that copper tripeptide may support collagen production. Larger, well-designed trials are still needed to confirm its potential and understand individual responses.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

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.

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.

It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser.

On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).

Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids.

This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.

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!

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