Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides Versus Truly Purple Rain Glow Serum Facial + Body Booster

Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides Versus Truly Purple Rain Glow Serum Facial + Body Booster

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Bakuchiol and Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract to soften the look of wrinkles and calm redness.

This smoothing serum is formulated around Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil and Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Bakuchiol

Krameria Triandra Root Extract

Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Eclipta Prostrata Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Bakuchiol, Krameria Triandra Root Extract, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

Beta Vulgaris Root Extract

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Glycolic Acid

Glycerin

Water

Polysorbate 20

Retinol

CI 17200

CI 60725

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Water, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, CI 17200, CI 60725

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract is the extract from the flowers of the aloe vera plant. In cosmetics, it functions as a skin conditioning agent.

Here's the honest part: most of the famous "aloe" research is on the leaf and this flower extract is much less studied. It shouldn't be assumed to do everything the gel is known for.

However, there is a small body of flower-specific research that is interesting to take a look at.

The flowers of Aloe vera contain volatile compounds and ascorbic acid. And when researchers looked closer, they found the flower is rich in antioxidants called phenolics that lined up with the extract's strong antioxidant activity.

This extract also showed some ability to fight off a common bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in lab tests.

In lab and mouse studies, those phenolic compounds behaved like solid antioxidants though human skin trials on the flower extract are still needed.

Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty assuring. The CIR Expert Panel deems this ingredient safe in current practices of use and only rare cases of acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis have been reported.

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%.

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract is also known as Ivy Gourd Fruit Extract. It has skin conditioning properties.

The fruit is rich in flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, and sterols that show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect in vitro. This is because the fruit contains a thick mucilage that forms a protective and soothing layer on the skin's surface.

The extract itself has demonstrated antioxidant, soothing, and potential anti-allergy properties.

Most of this research is done in vitro and dedicated clinical studies on topical application are still limited.

This ingredient is also known as Bhringaraj extract or False Daisy. It is a skin conditioning ingredient that keeps skin soft and hydrated.

Research shows it has antioxidant properties; lab studies have found it can protect skin cells from UV-induced damage and help suppress inflammation.

There's also some interesting research on its potential to support hair growth by promoting the growth phase of the hair cycle.

Those with an allergy to plants in the daisy family may want to patch test this ingredient. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated otherwise.

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract is from the Neem tree. Neem trees originate from India.

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract contains antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

The flowers of this tree are lilac colored.

This ingredient is also known as neem leaf extract. It contains natural compounds like nimbidin, quercetin, and other polyphenols that give it antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activity.

Lab studies have shown neem leaf extract can inhibit acne-related bacteria and help calm skin. Animal studies on wound gels using 1-3% neem leaf extract found it sped up healing without causing irritation.

A wound-healing study testing gels with the extract at 1%, 2%, and 3% concentrations and found none of them irritated the skin.

Most commercial products also use it in a similar low range (typically under 5%).

Allergy-wise, there are some case reports on neem oil causing allergic contact dermatitis so people with plant/botanical sensitivities may want to patch test first.

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil is a lightweight oil from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree. In cosmetics, it's an emollient that forms a light film to slow water loss and soften skin.

Its fatty acid composition is dominated by oleic acid (70-78%), with smaller amounts of behenic, palmitic, and stearic acids (this profile is actually pretty similar to olive oil).

Notably, this ingredient is oxidatively stable for an oil and resists going rancid as fast as other oils.

A small, in vivo study on 32 participants found a cream with this ingredient increased skin hydration with no reported skin irritation. It also found the tocopherol content gave it some antioxidant activity as well.

One thing to flag for fungal acne: Because this oil is so high in oleic acid, Malassezia can use it as a food source and this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

For everyone else, this ingredient is well-tolerated and nourishing with a good safety track record.

We don't have a description for Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract yet.

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract comes from the Holy Basil plant. Holy Basil is native to India.

Holy Basil is rich in antioxidants due to its high romarinic acid, ferulic acid, and rutin content. This gives it skin brightening and soothing properties.

While Holy Basil has many claims to help fight acne, more research is needed.

One thing to note is the presence of tannins; tannins are naturally found in nature. However, this compound may be skin-sensitizing.

Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.

Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.

Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.

Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).

Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.

Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.

Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

This ingredient comes from eggplant (or aubergine). It has skin conditioning properties due to its abundance of antioxidants like Chlorogenic Acid, Caffeic Acid, and Nasunin.

Nasunin is the pigment concentrated in the purple peel and has demonstrated the abilityu to neutralize free radicals and bind excess iron in lab studies.

Lab studies have shown that eggplant extracts can lower oxidative stress and protect skin cell membranes from damage. A 2025 study found that specific compounds in eggplant (particularly a phenolamide called N-Trans-Feruloylputrescine) may support skin health by neutralizing 2-nonenal, a byproduct linked to aging skin.

Overall, this is a gentle, well-tolerated ingredient that adds a little extra antioxidant support to your routine.

Those with nighshade vegetable allergies (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes) should patch test as eggplant is part of the same family.

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