Mario Badescu Super Peptide Serum Versus Olay Wrinkle Correction Serum - Vitamin B3 + Collagen Peptides

Mario Badescu Super Peptide Serum Versus Olay Wrinkle Correction Serum - Vitamin B3 + Collagen Peptides

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide 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

Pentylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Palmaria Palmata Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Achillea Millefolium Extract

Hypericum Perforatum Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Chlorphenesin

Caprylyl Glycol

Carbomer

Polysorbate 20

Disodium Phosphate

Sodium Phosphate

Sodium Nitrate

Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Lactate

Water, Pentylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Nitrate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lactate

Dimethicone

Niacinamide

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7

Panthenol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Dimethiconol

Disodium EDTA

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Aminomethyl Propanol

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7, Panthenol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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.

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.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

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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