Skin science article
Paula's Choice Peptide Booster Versus Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum
Paula's Choice Peptide Booster Versus Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This hydrating serum i
Paula's Choice Peptide Booster Versus Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum
This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This hydrating serum is formulated around Squalane and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
PEG-8 Dimethicone
Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate
Azelaoyl Bis-Dipeptide-10
Glycoproteins
Phospholipids
Adenosine
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Arginine
Valine
Glycine
Alanine
Glutamic Acid
Serine
Threonine
Yeast Extract
Isoleucine
Proline
Histidine
Phenylalanine
PCA
Phytic Acid
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Sodium PCA
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
Dextran
Hydrolyzed Silk
Lecithin
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
C12-16 Pareth-9
Trideceth-12
Sodium Lactate
Carbomer
Aspartic Acid
Polysorbate 20
Butylene Glycol
Caprylyl Glycol
PEG-8
C11-15 Pareth-7
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Ectoin
Citrate Buffer
Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Hydroxide
Ethylhexylglycerin
Water, Glycerin, PEG-8 Dimethicone, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Azelaoyl Bis-Dipeptide-10, Glycoproteins, Phospholipids, Adenosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Arginine, Valine, Glycine, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Threonine, Yeast Extract, Isoleucine, Proline, Histidine, Phenylalanine, PCA, Phytic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium PCA, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Dextran, Hydrolyzed Silk, Lecithin, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, C12-16 Pareth-9, Trideceth-12, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Aspartic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-8, C11-15 Pareth-7, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Ectoin, Citrate Buffer, Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin
Propanediol
Squalane
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Copper Tripeptide-1
Acmella Oleracea Extract
Tetrapeptide-30
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52
Copper PCA
Panthenol
Sodium Polyglutamate
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Acacia Senegal Gum
Xanthan Gum
Citric Acid
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Ectoin, Tetrapeptide-30, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, Copper PCA, Panthenol, Sodium Polyglutamate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
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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.
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).
Ectoin is a compound found naturally in some species of bacteria. It can be synthetically created for skincare use.
This ingredient is an osmolyte; Osmolytes help organisms survive osmotic shock (it protects them from extreme conditions). It does this by influencing the properties of biological fluids within cells.
When applied to the skin, ectoin helps bind water molecules to protect our skin. The water forms a sort of armor for the parts of our skin cells, enzymes, proteins, and more.
Besides this, ectoin has many uses in skincare:
A study from 2004 found ectoin to counteract the damage from UV-A exposure at different cell levels. It has also been shown to protect skin against both UV-A, UV-B rays, infrared light, and visible light.
Studies show ectoin to have dual-action pollution protection: first, it protects our skin from further pollution damage. Second, it helps repair damage from pollution.
In fact, ectoin has been shown to help with:
Fun fact: In the EU, ectoin is used in inhalation medication as an anti-pollution ingredient.
Ectoin is a highly stable ingredient. It has a wide pH range of 1-9. Light, oxygen, and temperature do not affect this ingredient.
The chemical name for this ingredient is Tetrahydromethylpyrimidine Carboxylic Acid.
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.
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!