Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner Versus COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum

Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner Versus COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum

This anti-aging toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium DNA to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Methylpropanediol

Niacinamide

PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer

Propanediol

1,2-Hexanediol

Tripropylene Glycol

Glyceryl Glucoside

Xylitylglucoside

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Anhydroxylitol

Glycerin

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment

C20-40 Pareth-10

Tocopheryl Acetate

Xylitol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium DNA

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Glucose

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Ceramide NP

Sodium Phytate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Citric Acid

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Sodium Citrate

Phytosterols

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

T-Butyl Alcohol

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Cyanocobalamin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Butylene Glycol

Adenosine Triphosphate

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide

Resveratrol

Pullulan

Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate

Palmitic Acid

C12-14 Alketh-12

Pisum Sativum Peptide

Stearic Acid

Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate

Caprylyl Glycol

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Dextran

Hydrolyzed Elastin

Soluble Collagen

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3

Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract

Disodium EDTA

Myristic Acid

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Mannose

Sh-Octapeptide-4

Sh-Decapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Copper Tripeptide-1

Hexapeptide-9

Nonapeptide-1

Tripeptide-1

Arachidic Acid

Collagen

Elastin

Glutathione

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide

Oligopeptide-29

Oligopeptide-32

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Acetyl Hexapeptide-1

Alanine/Histidine/Lysine Polypeptide Copper Hcl

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Acetyl Sh-Pentapeptide-1

Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1

Dipeptide-4

Hexapeptide-11

Hexapeptide-12

Lauric Acid

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17

Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4

Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-1

Nonapeptide-7

Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-35

Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-26

Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-23

Octapeptide-2

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Pentapeptide-13

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-29

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8

Sr-(Oligopeptide-91 Clostridium Botulinum Polypeptide-1)

Tetrapeptide-44

Tetrapeptide-30

Tripeptide-10 Citrulline

Tripeptide-32

Tripeptide-29

Sh-Polypeptide-22

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-9

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Sh-Polypeptide-11

Sh-Polypeptide-3

Sh-Polypeptide-16

Sh-Polypeptide-62

Water, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tripropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Xylitylglucoside, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Anhydroxylitol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, C20-40 Pareth-10, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylitol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium DNA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glucose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Ceramide NP, Sodium Phytate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Citrate, Phytosterols, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Butylene Glycol, Adenosine Triphosphate, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Resveratrol, Pullulan, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Palmitic Acid, C12-14 Alketh-12, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Dextran, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Soluble Collagen, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Disodium EDTA, Myristic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Mannose, Sh-Octapeptide-4, Sh-Decapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Nonapeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Arachidic Acid, Collagen, Elastin, Glutathione, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Oligopeptide-29, Oligopeptide-32, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Alanine/Histidine/Lysine Polypeptide Copper Hcl, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Acetyl Sh-Pentapeptide-1, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Dipeptide-4, Hexapeptide-11, Hexapeptide-12, Lauric Acid, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4, Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Nonapeptide-7, Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-35, Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-26, Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-23, Octapeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Pentapeptide-13, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-29, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Sr-(Oligopeptide-91 Clostridium Botulinum Polypeptide-1), Tetrapeptide-44, Tetrapeptide-30, Tripeptide-10 Citrulline, Tripeptide-32, Tripeptide-29, Sh-Polypeptide-22, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Sh-Polypeptide-3, Sh-Polypeptide-16, Sh-Polypeptide-62

Dipropylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Sh-Polypeptide-121

Oligopeptide-68

Allantoin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Acetyl Glucosamine

Serine

Alanine

Glycine

Threonine

Arginine

Proline

Betaine

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

PCA

Glutamic Acid

Lysine Hcl

Tocopherol

Glycine Soja Oil

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Polyquaternium-51

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Oleate

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-121, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Oligopeptide-68, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Betaine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Tocopherol, Dextran, Glycine Soja Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Polyquaternium-51, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Oleate

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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (also known as Argireline) is a synthetic hexapeptide that is often called a "topical Botox alternative".

It works by mimicking how Botox relaxes muscles; it interferes with the signaling process that tells your facial muscles to contract. This can help soften expression lines like forehead wrinkles or crow's feet over time.

The comparison to Botox does have limits because the molecule is water-loving and relatively large.

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 has a hard time absorbing deeply enough through the skin's outer barrier to actually reach the muscles.

So whether it truly works the way Botox does at a biological level is still up for debate, but early clinical outcomes are fairly encouraging.

A 12 week human study of a multi-ingredient regimen containing this ingredient saw:

While some studies have observed improvements in wrinkle appearance, it is important to note that more consistent results are seen in multi-ingredient formulations (vs just Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 alone).

Some research studies also used higher concentrations (up to 10%) while this ingredient is usually found in concentrations up to 0.005% in leave-on formulations.

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).

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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:

Dextran is a sugar (polysaccharide) with skin hydrating properties.

Fun fact: Louis Pasteur first discovered this ingredient as a microbial product in wine.

This small molecule peptide has similar benefits to Argireline, the "botox" peptide.

According to the manufacturer, this peptide mimics snake venom to freeze muscles. This prevents muscle movement and contractions to prohibit the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

While this seems promising, research is lacking in proving this ingredient to be as effective as botox.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.

It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.

This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.

Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.

Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.

A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

This synthetic peptide is created from palmitic acid, arginine, histidine, and phenylalanine.

According to the manufacturer, this peptide is great at soothing skin inflammation.

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 is a texture enhancer and pH adjuster.

It is be used to thicken water-based products and create a gel-texture with a velvet feel.

One manufacturer claims this ingredient to have a pH range of 2-8 and to be biodegradable.

This ingredient is also known as Sepimax Zen.

T-Butyl Alcohol (aka tert-butanol) is a small, clear, camphor-smelling alcohol.

It has two main jobs:

On the safety side, it's well-studied and has a solid track record. Human repeat-insult patch testing showed no skin irritation or sensitization even at 100%.

Typical use levels are pretty tiny, usually less than 1%.

You might see some fear-mongering around this ingredient:

Studies in male rats showed kidney effects but that's because of a rat-specific protein that humans don't make. So this study isn't really relevant to humans.

Though it's not a typical fragrance like parfum, it does have a natural scent. That's why the official COSIng database lists it as 'perfuming' ingredient. It can be used to modify the scent of a formula.

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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