Skin science article
Mixsoon PDRN Collagen Serum Versus Eqqualberry Purple PDRN Pore Minimizing Serum
Mixsoon PDRN Collagen Serum Versus Eqqualberry Purple PDRN Pore Minimizing Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium DNA to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier. This pore-care serum is formulated around Nia
Mixsoon PDRN Collagen Serum Versus Eqqualberry Purple PDRN Pore Minimizing Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium DNA to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.
This pore-care serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium DNA to refine the look of pores and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Dipropylene Glycol
Propanediol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Glycereth-26
Methyl Gluceth-20
Niacinamide
Glycerin
1,2-Hexanediol
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Arginine
Xanthan Gum
Butylene Glycol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Adenosine
Coptis Japonica Extract
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Benzyl Glycol
Cyanocobalamin
Sodium Phytate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Sodium DNA
Tocopherol
Pentylene Glycol
Collagen Extract
Copper Tripeptide-1
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycereth-26, Methyl Gluceth-20, Niacinamide, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Coptis Japonica Extract, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Benzyl Glycol, Cyanocobalamin, Sodium Phytate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Sodium DNA, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Collagen Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Methylpropanediol
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
Polyglycerin-3
C14-22 Alcohols
Tromethamine
Oryza Sativa Extract
Panthenol
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Castanea Crenata Shell Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Gluconolactone
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Hydrolyzed Elastin
Ceramide NP
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Allantoin
Hydroxyacetophenone
Carbomer
Sodium Polyacrylate
Caprylyl Glycol
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Disodium EDTA
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract
Malt Extract
Trideceth-6
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
C11-13 Isoparaffin
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Methylpropanediol, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Polyglycerin-3, 1,2-Hexanediol, C14-22 Alcohols, Tromethamine, Oryza Sativa Extract, Sodium DNA, Panthenol, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Gluconolactone, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Ceramide NP, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Copper Tripeptide-1, Allantoin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Propanediol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Malt Extract, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Trideceth-6, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Sodium Phytate, C11-13 Isoparaffin, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract
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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
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
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.
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%.
Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a skin repairing ingredient known for its ability to boost collagen, improve firmness, and support skin regeneration.
It is a complex made up of a naturally occurring peptide (glycine-histidine-lysine) and copper, an essential trace element.
While studying wound healing, researchers noticed GHK-Cu stimulated hair follicle enlargement and growth by keeping hair in its active growth phase longer. This has made it a promising ingredient for hair regrowth treatments.
Some people have reported increased facial hair. While GHK-Cu can make your hair follicles bigger, it usually doesn’t turn soft, barely-visible facial hairs into thick, dark ones.
Anecdotal reports suggest that overusing copper peptides might lead to premature aging due to excess free copper or enzyme imbalances. This claim isn’t backed by large-scale studies.
Unfortunately, there are limited human studies for this ingredient. While early results are promising, many studies are either small, in-vitro, or not rigorously controlled.
For example, there is a 1998 study that explored the effects of copper tripeptide, vitamin C, tretinoin, and melatonin on skin repair and collagen synthesis.
After one month, increased procollagen production was seen in 7 out of 10 participants using copper tripeptide (more than those using vitamin C, melatonin, or tretinoin.
While the study was exploratory, it offers early evidence that copper tripeptide may support collagen production. Larger, well-designed trials are still needed to confirm its potential and understand individual responses.
Read more about other common types of peptides here:
Cyanocobalamin is the manufactured version of vitamin B12. It has skin soothing, antioxidant, and barrier protecting properties. Topical cyanocobalamin is used to treat skin irritation and atopic dermatitis.
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.
Glycereth-26 is a synthetic ingredient and polyethylene glycol ether of Glycerin. Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin and helps keep your skin moisturized.
It is a humectant and helps add texture to products. It can make your product thicker.
As a humectant, it helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps your skin stay hydrated.
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 Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer is made up of glycerin and polyacrylic acid. It helps hydrate your skin as a humectant.
This ingredient forms a hydrogel that delivers moisturizing, water-based ingredients to the skin. It is also used to thicken a product and to give it a smooth texture.
Acrylic acid itself is toxic, but the polymer form (this ingredient) is too large to penetrate skin, making it non-toxic.
Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
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 DNA is an emerging anti-aging ingredient.
It is created by taking deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and purifying it with sodium hydroxide.
The DNA is extracted from several different animal sources, including: calf thymus, the gonadic tissue of a male sturgeon, or herring / salmon sperm.
You have probably seen this ingredient in anti-aging skincare. But what is it?
DNA is composed of nucleotides, or chemical building blocks. Nucleotides include adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). Talk about a flashback to biology! Nucleosides are formed from these nucleotides.
The science behind Sodium DNA is based on an ingredient called Polydeoxyribonucleotide or PDRN.
PDRN are DNA fragments mainly extracted from the sperm cells of trout or salmon. Meaning, PDRN can be derived from Sodium DNA.
PDRN consists of chains of nucleotides and nucleosides mentioned above. They can range anywhere from 80 - 2000 pairs.
Studies show PDRN has the following properties:
Most of the research on PDRN has been done using injectable forms. That’s important, because PDRN is a large molecule and doesn’t absorb well through the skin. So if you’re applying it topically, the effects are likely to be much milder.
Still, topical Sodium DNA is emerging as a trendy anti-aging ingredient. It’s generally well-tolerated and offers good biocompatibility with human skin, making it a low-risk addition to most routines.
Further studies are needed to truly confirm this ingredients anti-aging ability (Remember, retinol has decades of research!).
Sodium DNA may be sourced from fish, animal tissue, or plants. Since this isn’t always disclosed, we recommend asking the brand directly if the ingredient’s origin is important to you.
Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
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.