Skin science article
Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Moisturizer Versus Cocokind Electrolyte Water Cream
Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Moisturizer Versus Cocokind Electrolyte Water Cream This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Mag
Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Plumping Moisturizer Versus Cocokind Electrolyte Water Cream
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Magnesium PCA and Sodium PCA to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Dimethicone
Squalane
Glycerin
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Pentylene Glycol
1,2-Hexanediol
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Gigartina Stellata Extract
Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate
Tridecapeptide-1
Oligopeptide-1
Sodium Phytate
Propanediol
Lecithin
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Cyanocobalamin
Phenoxyethanol
Water, Dimethicone, Squalane, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Gigartina Stellata Extract, Acetyl Sh-Hexapeptide-5 Amide Acetate, Tridecapeptide-1, Oligopeptide-1, Sodium Phytate, Propanediol, Lecithin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Cyanocobalamin, Phenoxyethanol
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Magnesium PCA
Sodium PCA
Zinc PCA
Manganese PCA
Beta-Glucan
Chlamydomonas Extract
Sea Water
Ceramide NP
Caprylyl Glycol
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Maltodextrin
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Ethylhexylglycerin
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Magnesium PCA, Sodium PCA, Zinc PCA, Manganese PCA, Beta-Glucan, Chlamydomonas Extract, Sea Water, Ceramide NP, Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Maltodextrin, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
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.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
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.
This ingredient is a synthetic, salt form polymer built from acrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, or their simple esters. It works as a binder, film former, and viscosity increasing agent.
Typical concentrations start at around 0.5% but can go up to 25% for film-forming or binding.
The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of 126 acrylates copolymers and concluded they are safe in cosmetics at current use levels when formulated to be non-irritating. They also noted the levels present in finished cosmetic products are not considered a safety risk and Genotoxicity testing (Ames tests, chromosomal aberration assays) has come back negative across the board.
Though the raw building blocks (like acrylic acid) can be irritating on their own, cosmetic-grade versions go through purification to keep levels extremely low.
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer is a large molecule that doesn't penetrate skin barrier in any meaningful way.
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!