Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum Versus StriVectin Peptide Plump Line Filling Bounce Serum

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum Versus StriVectin Peptide Plump Line Filling Bounce Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinol and Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cyclopentasiloxane

Isopropyl Palmitate

C14-22 Alcohols

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Dimethicone

Propanediol

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Shea Butter Ethyl Esters

Retinol

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate

Ceramide NP

Sodium Hyaluronate

Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract

Swertia Chirata Extract

Squalane

Punica Granatum Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Glycine Soja Extract

Urea

Yeast Amino Acids

Trehalose

Inositol

Taurine

Betaine

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Silica

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

Butylene Glycol

Lecithin

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside

Cetyl Palmitate

Laureth-23

Polysorbate 20

Trideceth-6 Phosphate

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Chlorphenesin

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hydroxide

Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate

Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate

CI 77891

CI 14700

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Citronellol

Parfum

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isopropyl Palmitate, C14-22 Alcohols, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Retinol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Swertia Chirata Extract, Squalane, Punica Granatum Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycine Soja Extract, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Cetyl Palmitate, Laureth-23, Polysorbate 20, Trideceth-6 Phosphate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, CI 77891, CI 14700, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Parfum

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract

Glyceryl Ricinoleate

Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Silica Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Olea Europaea Leaf Extract

Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Extract

Pentapeptide-84 Amide Acetate

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Beta-Glucan

Myristyl Nicotinate

Citric Acid

Biotin

Tocopherol

1,2-Hexanediol

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Polyisobutene

Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Polysilicone-11

Sorbitan Isostearate

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Polysorbate 80

PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether

Hydroxyacetophenone

Pentylene Glycol

Polysorbate 60

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Caprylyl Glycol

Adenosine

Carbomer

Sodium Citrate

Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Limonene

Linalool

CI 17200

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Silica Crosspolymer, Betaine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Extract, Pentapeptide-84 Amide Acetate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Beta-Glucan, Myristyl Nicotinate, Citric Acid, Biotin, Tocopherol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyisobutene, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysilicone-11, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Polysorbate 80, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Adenosine, Carbomer, Sodium Citrate, Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, CI 17200

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Dimethyl Isosorbide (often shortened to DMI) is a sugar-derived solvent made from sorbitol. It's used to dissolve tricky ingredients and help them mix smoothly into a formula.

Many actives sit as gritty crystals when undissolved, so DMI swoops in to full dissolve them. This helps improve texture, stability, and how evenly an active is distributed.

It does have a penetration-enhancing reputation that is a bit more nuanced than marketing suggests; a cell study on human skin found that 10% DMI didn't significantly boost the permeation of Hydroquinone, Salicylic Acid, or Octadecenedioic Acid compared to controls (though it did improve their solubility in the formula itself).

Typical usage concentrations usually range from 1-10% depending on the formula's needs; this ingredient is also well tolerated at these levels.

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.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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 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!

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