Skin science article
MediCube Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream Versus Sisley Paris Supremya At Night Anti-Aging Cream
MediCube Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream Versus Sisley Paris Supremya At Night Anti-Aging Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging night moisturizer is for
MediCube Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream Versus Sisley Paris Supremya At Night Anti-Aging Cream
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.
This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Methylpropanediol
Glycerin
Cyclopentasiloxane
Butylene Glycol
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
Dipropylene Glycol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Panthenol
Niacinamide
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Copper Tripeptide-1
Squalane
Glyceryl Stearate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Cetearyl Olivate
C14-22 Alcohols
Stearyl Alcohol
Cetyl Alcohol
Sorbitan Olivate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Polysorbate 60
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
1,2-Hexanediol
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Dimethiconol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Saccharide Hydrolysate
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Fructooligosaccharides
Allantoin
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Caprylyl Glycol
Pullulan
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
Adenosine
Sorbitan Laurate
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Myristyl Alcohol
Myristic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Glucose
Arachidic Acid
Lauryl Alcohol
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Ceramide NP
Atelocollagen
Desamido Collagen
Oleic Acid
Hydrolyzed Elastin
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Soluble Collagen
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Collagen
Collagen Amino Acids
Procollagen
Magnesium PCA
Serine
Sucrose
Glycine
Calcium Chloride
Sea Salt
Alanine
Magnesium Chloride
Threonine
Histidine
Aspartic Acid
Valine
Proline
Dipotassium Phosphate
Lysine
Leucine
Tyrosine
Isoleucine
Magnesium Citrate
Glucosamine Hcl
Phenylalanine
Glutamic Acid
Arginine
1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Asparagine
Citrulline
Methionine
Taurine
Tryptophan
Formic Acid
Glutamine
Cysteine
Parfum
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Copper Tripeptide-1, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Cetearyl Olivate, C14-22 Alcohols, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Fructooligosaccharides, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Pullulan, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Adenosine, Sorbitan Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Myristyl Alcohol, Myristic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Glucose, Arachidic Acid, Lauryl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Atelocollagen, Desamido Collagen, Oleic Acid, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Collagen, Collagen Amino Acids, Procollagen, Magnesium PCA, Serine, Sucrose, Glycine, Calcium Chloride, Sea Salt, Alanine, Magnesium Chloride, Threonine, Histidine, Aspartic Acid, Valine, Proline, Dipotassium Phosphate, Lysine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Isoleucine, Magnesium Citrate, Glucosamine Hcl, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Asparagine, Citrulline, Methionine, Taurine, Tryptophan, Formic Acid, Glutamine, Cysteine, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
PEG-100 Stearate
Corylus Avellana Seed Oil
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Prunus Domestica Seed Extract
Pentylene Glycol
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Garcinia Indica Seed Butter
Tocopheryl Acetate
Bisabolol
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract
Salix Alba Leaf Extract
Rose Extract
Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Oryza Sativa Extract
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Michelia Alba Leaf Oil
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Coriandrum Sativum Fruit Oil
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
C18-21 Alkane
Citric Acid
Sorbitan Isostearate
Sodium Hydroxide
Glycine Soja Oil
Hexylene Glycol
Xanthan Gum
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Sorbic Acid
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Sorbate
Tocopherol
CI 77491
Linalool
Citronellol
Geraniol
Citral
Limonene
Eugenol
Water, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Corylus Avellana Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Prunus Domestica Seed Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Garcinia Indica Seed Butter, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Adenosine, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Salix Alba Leaf Extract, Rose Extract, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Michelia Alba Leaf Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Coriandrum Sativum Fruit Oil, Butylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, C18-21 Alkane, Cetyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycine Soja Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Lysine, Magnesium Chloride, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, CI 77491, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Citral, Limonene, Eugenol
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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.
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.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage.
Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin. Just know this one's based on experience and not evidence.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
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.
Lysine is an essential amino acid (your body cannot make it on its own). It has skin conditioning properties and one of the key players in collagen synthesis.
When your body creates collagen, lysine is basically the glue that holds everything together. It helps collagen fibers lock into each other and stay strong, with vitamin C being its trusty sidekick. Without enough lysine, this glue gets flimsy and less firm, resulting in less bouncy skin.
In skincare, lysine is mostly there to help keep your skin moisturized. It carries water through your skin's layers so everything stays plump.
So will putting lysine on your face create bouncier skin?
It's hard to say; most of the exciting collagen research on lysine comes from oral supplements or lab studies on mice. Further research is needed to truly understand what role topical lysine plays in skincare and your skin.
However, there's no harm in adding lysine to your routine as a supportive and hydrating ingredient.
Magnesium chloride is a mineral salt made from magnesium and chloride. It is mainly used to control product stability and texture in cosmetics.
This ingredient can also play a role in soothing the skin and supporting normal skin function.
Magnesium chloride is water-soluble, generally well tolerated, and does not act as a strong “active” ingredient on its own.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
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!