Neurogan Health GHK-Cu Copper Peptide Versus Asterwood Naturals Matrixyl 3000 + Argireline Anti Aging Serum

Neurogan Health GHK-Cu Copper Peptide Versus Asterwood Naturals Matrixyl 3000 + Argireline Anti Aging Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Copper Tripeptide-1 4%

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Glycerin

Kojic Acid

Carica Papaya Seed Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Tocopherol

Niacinamide

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Copper Tripeptide-1 4%, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Kojic Acid, Carica Papaya Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Niacinamide, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Water

Butylene Glycol

Carbomer

Polysorbate 20

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Potassium Sorbate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Benzoic Acid

Dehydroacetic Acid

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Potassium Sorbate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Phenoxyethanol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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.

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