Medik8 Copper PCA Peptides Mineral Antioxidant Peptide Serum Versus Nip + Fab Peptide Fix Finishing Oil 2%

Medik8 Copper PCA Peptides Mineral Antioxidant Peptide Serum Versus Nip + Fab Peptide Fix Finishing Oil 2%

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

This anti-aging oil is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cyclopentasiloxane

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Stearic Acid

Polyacrylamide

Cyclohexasiloxane

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Phenoxyethanol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Cetearyl Alcohol

Copper PCA

Niacinamide

Butylene Glycol

Benzyl Alcohol

Laureth-7

Polysilicone-11

Triethanolamine

Aminobutyric Acid

CI 77120

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Ethylhexylglycerin

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol

Centella Asiatica Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Dehydroacetic Acid

Carbomer

Polysorbate 20

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Superoxide Dismutase

Tromethamine

Sodium Metabisulfite

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Cyclohexasiloxane, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cetearyl Alcohol, Copper PCA, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Laureth-7, Polysilicone-11, Triethanolamine, Aminobutyric Acid, CI 77120, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Superoxide Dismutase, Tromethamine, Sodium Metabisulfite

Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil

Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Prunus Persica Kernel Oil

Bakuchiol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Copper Tripeptide-1

Sodium Hydroxide

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Gluconolactone

Limonene

Brassica Campestris Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Crithmum Maritimum Extract

Tocopherol

Althaea Officinalis Root Extract

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil Expressed

Calcium Gluconate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Linalool

Tribehenin

Sorbitan Isostearate

Water, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Prunus Persica Kernel Oil, Bakuchiol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Gluconolactone, Limonene, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Tocopherol, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil Expressed, Calcium Gluconate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Linalool, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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%.

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.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.

That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.

Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.

In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.

Human clinical data is promising, but modest:

A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.

A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.

You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.

Fungal acne note: Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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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