Naturium Multi-Peptide Rich Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream

Naturium Multi-Peptide Rich Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Octyldodecanol

Butylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate

Cera Microcristallina

Magnesium Stearate

Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate

Undecane

1,2-Hexanediol

Polyglyceryl-20 Octadecabehenate/Laurate

Sorbitan Olivate

Stearalkonium Bentonite

Magnesium Sulfate

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Mannitol

Phosphatidylcholine

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Copper Tripeptide-1

Ferulic Acid

Gold

Tocopherol

Tridecane

Asiaticoside

Propylene Carbonate

Glyceryl Caprylate

Cetyl Alcohol

Decyl Glucoside

P-Anisic Acid

Xanthan Gum

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Cera Microcristallina, Magnesium Stearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate, Undecane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-20 Octadecabehenate/Laurate, Sorbitan Olivate, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Magnesium Sulfate, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Mannitol, Phosphatidylcholine, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Copper Tripeptide-1, Ferulic Acid, Gold, Tocopherol, Tridecane, Asiaticoside, Propylene Carbonate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Decyl Glucoside, P-Anisic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol

Isohexadecane

Distarch Phosphate

Niacinamide

Isopropyl Isostearate

Dimethicone

Panthenol

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7

Tripeptide-3

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Dimethiconol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

Stearyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

PEG-100 Stearate

Parfum

Titanium Dioxide

Mica

Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Distarch Phosphate, Niacinamide, Isopropyl Isostearate, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tripeptide-3, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Butylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Titanium Dioxide, Mica

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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.

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%.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

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.

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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