Skin science article
Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP Versus Mad Hippie Corrective Peptide Serum
Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP Versus Mad Hippie Corrective Peptide Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This anti-aging serum is formula
Medik8 Liquid Peptides Advanced MP Versus Mad Hippie Corrective Peptide Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Ceramide NP to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Butylene Glycol
Undecane
Arginine
Inulin
Microcrystalline Cellulose
Ceteareth-20
Tridecane
Tocopherol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Sodium Hyaluronate
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Panthenol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Pullulan
Tetrapeptide-21
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Glyceryl Linoleate
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Pentapeptide-18
Oligopeptide-1
Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide
Sucrose Palmitate
Cetyl Palmitate
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Carbomer
Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
Polysorbate 80
Sorbitan Stearate
Polysorbate 20
Carnosine
Sodium Metabisulfite
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Sodium Benzoate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Caprylyl Glycol
Pantolactone
Xanthan Gum
Disodium EDTA
T-Butyl Alcohol
Potassium Sorbate
Citric Acid
Glyceryl Caprylate
Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Phenylpropanol
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Butylene Glycol, Undecane, Arginine, Inulin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Ceteareth-20, Tridecane, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Panthenol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Pullulan, Tetrapeptide-21, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Pentapeptide-18, Oligopeptide-1, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Sucrose Palmitate, Cetyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Carnosine, Sodium Metabisulfite, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Pantolactone, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, T-Butyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenylpropanol
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Propanediol
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Apium Graveolens Seed Extract
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Squalane
Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Sorbitan Trioleate
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Polyglucuronic Acid
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-22
Avena Sativa Meal Extract
Phenethyl Alcohol
Stearyl Alcohol
Polyglutamic Acid
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Lecithin
Ceramide NP
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Propanediol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Sodium Hyaluronate, Apium Graveolens Seed Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Squalane, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Sorbitan Trioleate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyglucuronic Acid, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-22, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyglutamic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol
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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.
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%.
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).
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.
This ingredient is used in skincare as a delivery system.
It works by "encapsulating" active ingredients with its unique ring shape that is water-loving on the outside and oil-loving on the inside. This improves the stability and absorption of the product into the skin.
According to a manufacturer, it also offer some moisturizing effects.
This synthetic, signal peptide has unique skin conditioning properties in that is a matrikine-mimetic compound.
First of all, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 is a signal peptide; signal peptides tell the body to create more collagen.
What is a matrikine-mimetic compound?
This peptide has the ability to mimic matrikines in skin. Our skin created matrikines by breaking down matrix proteins into peptides.
Matrikines play a role in:
Though further research is needed, this ingredient seems pretty promising. In one study, women over the age of 40 with visible photoaging used a vitamin C serum with this ingredient for 56 days (15% ascorbid acid, 5 ppm palmitoyl tripeptide‐38). The results found improvement in skin roughness and skin tone.
This peptide is also part of the famous Matrixyl synthe’6, a blend of ingredients that also includes glycerin, water, and hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin.
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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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!