My iN.gredients Collagen + Multi Peptide Serum Versus The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum

My iN.gredients Collagen + Multi Peptide Serum Versus The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Phenoxyethanol

PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Carbomer

Tromethamine

1,2-Hexanediol

Propanediol

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Sorbitan Isostearate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Vegetable Amino Acids

Illicium Verum Fruit Extract

Proline

Hydroxyproline

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Copper Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Magnesium Chloride

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine

Oligopeptide-1

Hexapeptide-9

Tripeptide-29

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Vegetable Amino Acids, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Proline, Hydroxyproline, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Magnesium Chloride, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Oligopeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Tripeptide-29

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Sodium Phytate

Citric Acid

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Lactate

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate

Polysorbate 20

Polysorbate 60

Disodium Phosphate

Sodium Phosphate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Carbomer, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

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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.

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.

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.

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 a synthetic lipopeptide that is often paired with its sibling, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, in a trade blend called Syn-Tacks.

It's main job is to target the dermal-epidermal junction. This junction starts to weaken around age 30 and its functino depends heavily on proteins to keep skin intact, firm, and resilient.

This ingredient works by stimulating all of these proteins simultaneously. Research on related peptide complexes has shown that topical application significantly increased dermal collagen expression with significant improvement in skin wrinkles observed after just 2 weeks.

Clinical data suggests using 1-3% concentration for visible results and most blends use this amount anyway.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.

That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.

Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.

In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.

Human clinical data is promising, but modest:

A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.

A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.

You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.

Fungal acne note: Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.

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.

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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