Skin science article
Mary Kay TimeWise Replenishing Serum+C® Versus Paula's Choice Peptide Booster
Mary Kay TimeWise Replenishing Serum+C® Versus Paula's Choice Peptide Booster This brightening serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging treatment is fo
Mary Kay TimeWise Replenishing Serum+C® Versus Paula's Choice Peptide Booster
This brightening serum is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Butylene Glycol
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Pentylene Glycol
Betaine
Ascorbic Acid
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
Vegetable Amino Acids
Isomalt
Tocopherol
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
Synthetic Beeswax
Alcohol Denat.
PEG-32
Polyacrylamide
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Hydrated Silica
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
Laureth-7
Xanthan Gum
Triethanolamine
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Potassium Benzoate
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Sorbate
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Tin Oxide
Mica
Titanium Dioxide
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butylene Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Ascorbic Acid, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Vegetable Amino Acids, Isomalt, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Synthetic Beeswax, Alcohol Denat., PEG-32, Polyacrylamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Hydrated Silica, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Laureth-7, Xanthan Gum, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Potassium Benzoate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Tin Oxide, Mica, Titanium Dioxide
PEG-8 Dimethicone
Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate
Azelaoyl Bis-Dipeptide-10
Glycoproteins
Phospholipids
Adenosine
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Arginine
Valine
Glycine
Alanine
Glutamic Acid
Serine
Threonine
Yeast Extract
Isoleucine
Proline
Histidine
Phenylalanine
PCA
Phytic Acid
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Sodium PCA
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
Dextran
Hydrolyzed Silk
Lecithin
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
C12-16 Pareth-9
Trideceth-12
Sodium Lactate
Carbomer
Aspartic Acid
Polysorbate 20
Caprylyl Glycol
PEG-8
C11-15 Pareth-7
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Ectoin
Citrate Buffer
Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone
Sodium Hydroxide
Water, Glycerin, PEG-8 Dimethicone, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Azelaoyl Bis-Dipeptide-10, Glycoproteins, Phospholipids, Adenosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Arginine, Valine, Glycine, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Threonine, Yeast Extract, Isoleucine, Proline, Histidine, Phenylalanine, PCA, Phytic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium PCA, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Dextran, Hydrolyzed Silk, Lecithin, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, C12-16 Pareth-9, Trideceth-12, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Aspartic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-8, C11-15 Pareth-7, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Ectoin, Citrate Buffer, Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin
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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.
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.
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.
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!