PCA Skin Pro-Max Age Renewal Advanced Serum Versus SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream

PCA Skin Pro-Max Age Renewal Advanced Serum Versus SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Polysilicone-11

Propanediol

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylene Brassylate

Pullulan

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Lactic Acid

Laureth-12

Carnosine

Tricholoma Matsutake Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract

Porphyridium Cruentum Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Bacillus Ferment

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Acetyl Tripeptide-54 Amide

Acetyl Tripeptide-74 Amide

Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-1 Amide

Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-3 Amide

Ergothioneine

Water, Polysilicone-11, Propanediol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylene Brassylate, Pullulan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid, Laureth-12, Carnosine, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Bacillus Ferment, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Tripeptide-54 Amide, Acetyl Tripeptide-74 Amide, Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-1 Amide, Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-3 Amide, Ergothioneine

Sodium Glycolate

Glycolic Acid

Cetearyl Olivate

Cyclopentasiloxane

Isohexadecane

Sorbitan Olivate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Ceresin

Glycol Palmitate

Niacinamide

Squalane

Methyl Gluceth-20

Ethyl Lactyl Retinoate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Ceramide NP

Hyaluronic Acid

Ubiquinone

Tocopherol

Bisabolol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Superoxide Dismutase

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Allantoin Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Sodium PCA

Panthenol

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Linoleic Acid

Cholesterol

Linolenic Acid

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Dimethicone

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Steareth-2

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Acacia Senegal Gum

Xanthan Gum

Hydrated Silica

Carbomer

Tromethamine

Disodium EDTA

CI 77891

Water, Sodium Glycolate, Glycolic Acid, Cetearyl Olivate, Pentylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Sorbitan Olivate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Ceresin, Glycol Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Squalane, Methyl Gluceth-20, Ethyl Lactyl Retinoate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Ceramide NP, Hyaluronic Acid, Ubiquinone, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Superoxide Dismutase, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Allantoin Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Linoleic Acid, Cholesterol, Linolenic Acid, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Steareth-2, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Hydrated Silica, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891

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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.

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.

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%.

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.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

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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