Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule Versus Coxir Intensive EGF Peptides Serum

Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule Versus Coxir Intensive EGF Peptides Serum

This barrier-repair ampoule is formulated around Snail Secretion Filtrate and Copper Tripeptide-1 to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Alcohol Denat.

Panthenol

Glycereth-26

Punica Granatum Extract

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Carbomer

Triethanolamine

Trehalose

Copper Tripeptide-1

Oligopeptide-1

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract

Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tropolone

Sodium Polyacrylate

Adenosine

Coptis Japonica Extract

Disodium EDTA

Snail Secretion Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Panthenol, Glycereth-26, Punica Granatum Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Trehalose, Copper Tripeptide-1, Oligopeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tropolone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Coptis Japonica Extract, Disodium EDTA

Water

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Betaine

PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Tripeptide-1

Pentapeptide-13

Nonapeptide-1

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Arginine

Allantoin

PPG-26-Buteth-26

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Pyrus Malus Leaf Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Thymus Vulgaris Extract

Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract

Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract

Prunus Persica Fruit Extract

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Bambusa Vulgaris Callus Culture Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Leontopodium Alpinum Extract

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Prunus Domestica Fruit Extract

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Betaine, PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tripeptide-1, Pentapeptide-13, Nonapeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Carbomer, Arginine, Allantoin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Pyrus Malus Leaf Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Callus Culture Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Prunus Domestica Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Tropolone

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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).

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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:

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.

You might know this ingredient as Matrixyl. It is a synthetic peptide made up of five amino acids attached to a palmitic acid, a fatty acid that helps it absorb into skin more easily.

As a signal peptide, Matrixyl acts like a little messenger. Once it reaches your skin cells, it tells them to ramp up production of collagen, elastin, and other proteins that keep skin looking firm and smooth.

A 12 week clinical study found that a moisturizer containing just 3 ppm of Matrixyl led to a significant improvement in fine-lines and wrinkles. Another study showed an 18% reduction in wrinkle depth, 37% reduction in wrinkle thickness, and a 21% improvement in skin firmness after just 28 days of twice-daily use.

The coolest part is that it works at incredibly low concentrations (like 0.0003%) and it plays well with other actives.

The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel found it to be non-sensitizing across multiple tests and human patch tests also showed no irritation or sensitization.

Fun fact: Matrixyl was originally developed by French company Sederma and Procter & Gamble.

Snail Secretion Filtrate (the slimy mucus that garden snails produce) is a multitasking ingredient that shows up in "skin repair" formulas.

This ingredient works because it's a grab bag of skin-friendly stuff like:

In a formula, it acts as a humectant and barrier-supporting soother and the research backs this up as well.

A 2025 systematic review of human clinical trials found that snail-derived ingredients improved signs of aging, increased skin hydration, decreased transepidermal water loss, and improved healing after radiation therapy/fractional laser treatment.

Lab studies have also shown the secretion promotes the proliferation, migration, and survival of the cells that rebuild skin (keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts).

There's also a placebo-controlled study where a serum containing it helped with mask-related acne.

Overall, this is a gentle, water-based multitasker that works great for hydrating and supporting the skin barrier. However, please see the section below if you have dust mite or shellfish allergies.

You'll see snail filtrate listed at very different percentages depending on the product. Some Korean serums list it near the top of the ingredients at 90% or more while other products use just a few percent.

This doesn't mean the high-percentage ones are far stronger. Raw snail filtrate is mostly water to begin with so using a lot of it isn't the same thing as using a lot of the active ingredients.

Other products use a concentrated version so a small amount goes a long way. Either approach can work well. Just know the percentage on the label isn't a reliable way to judge how effective a snail product will be.

Being cruelty-free means a brand does not experiment on animals. If you're worried about the well-being of the snails, we recommend looking more into the company of the product. Many brands claim to have developed humane methods to collect snail mucin.

There is much debate on this subject. On one hand, this ingredient comes from an animal. On the other hand, many will argue the ingredient is naturally secreted (like a natural by-product) and therefore vegan. If you have reservations, you can look into Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate or Centella Asiatica Extract as alternatives.

This ingredient is fungal acne safe. Its core composition lacks the fatty acid/ester triggers that Malassezia depends on.

True allergy to Snail Secretion Filtrate is uncommon and most documented cases are linked to a dust mite allergy.

Snail proteins (including Tropomyosin) are similar enough to dust mite proteins that the immune system can confuse them.

In most documented cases, the dust mite was the original trigger and tropomyosin turned out to be only a minor player in some studies (so this has not been fully confirmed).

Another thing to know is that nearly all the evidence comes from eating snails or inhaling the protein and not from cosmetics.

However, the allergenic proteins can survive filtration into a finished product; a topical reaction is biologically plausible but there's little published evidence of it actually happening.

People who are allergic to dust mites (or sometimes shellfish) are the most likely to react.

This ingredient is extracted from the seeds of the cocoa tree.

Cacao seeds contain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These include flavonoids, procyanidins, and epicatechins.

Studies show these polyphenols help improve skin health.

The more famous ingredient from cocoa tree is cocoa butter.

We don't have a description for Tropolone yet.

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