Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream Versus COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream

Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream Versus COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Adenosine and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Sna

Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream Versus COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Adenosine and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Snail Secretion Filtrate and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cyclohexasiloxane

Dimethicone

Caprylyl Methicone

1,2-Hexanediol

Sodium Chloride

PEG-10 Dimethicone

Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer

Sodium Citrate

PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Disodium EDTA

Dipropylene Glycol

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Tocopherol

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Honey Extract

Beta-Glucan

Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract

Glycine

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Serine

Glutamic Acid

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Aspartic Acid

Leucine

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Alanine

Lysine

Arginine

Tyrosine

Phenylalanine

Proline

Threonine

Valine

Isoleucine

Histidine

Cysteine

Methionine

Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract

Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Copper Tripeptide-1

Ceramide NP

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Sodium Citrate, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Honey Extract, Beta-Glucan, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Glycine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Ceramide NP

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Niacinamide

Palmitic Acid

Carbomer

Stearic Acid

Betaine

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Allantoin

Tocopheryl Acetate

Panthenol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Myristic Acid

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Water, Palmitic Acid, Arginine, Carbomer, Stearic Acid, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Myristic Acid, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Reviews

Be the first to review

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

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.

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.

It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.

A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.

Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.

One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.

Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.

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.

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:

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.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Side-by-side

  1. 01Snail Secretion Filtrate
  2. 02Butylene Glycol
  3. 03Glycerin
  4. 04Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
  5. 051,2-Hexanediol
  6. 06Niacinamide
  7. 07Water
  8. 08Palmitic Acid
  9. 09Arginine
  10. 10Carbomer
  11. 11Stearic Acid
  12. 12Betaine
  13. 13Cetearyl Olivate
  14. 14Sorbitan Olivate
  15. 15Sodium Polyacrylate
  16. 16Allantoin
  17. 17Tocopheryl Acetate
  18. 18Panthenol
  19. 19Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
  20. 20Sodium Hyaluronate
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side