MEDI-PEEL Melanon X Cream Versus MEDI-PEEL Peptide 9 Volume Tox Cream

MEDI-PEEL Melanon X Cream Versus MEDI-PEEL Peptide 9 Volume Tox Cream

This brightening treatment is formulated around Niacinamide and Alpha-Arbutin to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Adenosine and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Butylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Betaine

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Dimethicone

Niacinamide

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Beeswax

Alpha-Arbutin

Broussonetia Kazinoki Callus Culture Extract

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Extract

PEG-100 Stearate

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Sorbitan Stearate

Sucrose Cocoate

Cysteine

Ascorbic Acid

Carnitine

Tranexamic Acid

Aletris Farinosa Root Extract

Biota Orientalis Leaf Extract

Zanthoxylum Schinifolium Leaf Extract

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract

Morus Alba Bark Extract

Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract

Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Hydroxyacetophenone

Ozokerite

Tocopheryl Acetate

Arginine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Carbomer

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-3

Sh-Polypeptide-16

Adenosine

Xanthan Gum

Disodium EDTA

Parfum

1,2-Hexanediol

Glycerin

Propanediol

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Beeswax, Alpha-Arbutin, Broussonetia Kazinoki Callus Culture Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Extract, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Stearate, Sucrose Cocoate, Cysteine, Ascorbic Acid, Carnitine, Tranexamic Acid, Aletris Farinosa Root Extract, Biota Orientalis Leaf Extract, Zanthoxylum Schinifolium Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ozokerite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-3, Sh-Polypeptide-16, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Propanediol

Methylpropanediol

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cetearyl Olivate

Cyclohexasiloxane

Sorbitan Olivate

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Cetearyl Glucoside

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Isohexadecane

Trehalose

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Polysorbate 80

Sorbitan Oleate

Glycine Soja Oil

Desamido Collagen

Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract

Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract

Fructan

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Bixa Orellana Seed Oil

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Sorbitan Laurate

Propylene Glycol

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Nonoxynol-14

Phenoxyethanol

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Tocopherol

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Benzyl Glycol

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Astaxanthin

Ethyl Hexanediol

Hydrolyzed Elastin

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Caprylyl Glycol

Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Copper Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Hyaluronic Acid

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Hexapeptide-9

Raspberry Ketone

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Arginine, Carbomer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Trehalose, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Oleate, Glycine Soja Oil, Desamido Collagen, Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Fructan, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Bixa Orellana Seed Oil, Propanediol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Laurate, Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Nonoxynol-14, Phenoxyethanol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Tocopherol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Benzyl Glycol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Astaxanthin, Ethyl Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Caprylyl Glycol, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Hexapeptide-9, Raspberry Ketone, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

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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.

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.

It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.

A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.

Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.

One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.

Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.

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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

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.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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.

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.

PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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