Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx Collagen Serum Versus Trader Joe's Supreme Hydrating Eye Cream

Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx Collagen Serum Versus Trader Joe's Supreme Hydrating Eye Cream

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Collagen

Water

Dimethicone

Butylene Glycol

Polysilicone-11

Glycerin

Caffeine

Squalane

Soluble Collagen

Collagen Amino Acids

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydroxyproline

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Hydroxystearic Acid

Magnesium Chloride

Polysorbate 20

Polysorbate 80

Sodium Hydroxide

Sorbitan Isostearate

Decyl Glucoside

Lauryl Glucoside

Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Disodium EDTA

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Isohexadecane

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Mica

Collagen, Water, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Glycerin, Caffeine, Squalane, Soluble Collagen, Collagen Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyproline, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxystearic Acid, Magnesium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Isohexadecane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Mica

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Betaine

Cetearyl Alcohol

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Cetyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Olivate

Isopropyl Myristate

Isoamyl Laurate

Sorbitan Olivate

Glyceryl Caprylate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Triethanolamine

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Carbomer

Honey

Parfum

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Tocopheryl Acetate

Rosa Canina Seed Oil

Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide

Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract

Dextrin

Ubiquinone

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Betaine, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isoamyl Laurate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Triethanolamine, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Carbomer, Honey, Parfum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Citrate, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Squalane, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Dextrin, Ubiquinone

Reviews

Be the first to review

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.

Hydrolyzed Collagen is Collagen (usually sourced from fish, bovine, or porcine byproducts) that's been broken down into smaller peptides. This makes it water-soluble and easy to blend into formulations.

In a formula, it works mainly as a skin-conditioning and moisturizing agent.

The small peptides and amino acids (including Natural Moisturizing Factor components like Hydroxyproline, Serine, and Aspartic Acid) help the surface of the skin hold onto water, feel softer, and look temporarily plumper.

This ingredient also has mild film-forming and antioxidant properties with research showing the antioxidant effect is stronger the lower the molecular weight of the peptides.

It's worth being realistic here:

Topically applied Hydrolyzed Collagen conditions the upper layers of skin rather than rebuilding the structural collagen deep in your dermis (the wrinkle-and-firmness benefits people associate with Collagen mostly come from oral supplements in studies, not topicals).

However, recent lab and skin-model work on Hydrolyzed Fish Collagen has shown promising effects on cell viability and wound healing when used as an active.

Typical concentrations range from 0.2-2%, but the percentage can go much higher in rinse-off or hair products (sometimes even above 50%).

Clinical studies on this ingredient showed no irritation, sensitization, or phototoxicity.

If you are looking for vegan collagen, it usually goes by a different INCI name like hydrolyzed soy protein. Vegan collagen is derived from yeast, bacteria, or plant sources.

The results are varied.

A study from 2021 found hydrolyzed collagen increased elasticity and improved wrinkles in 1,125 participants between age 20 and 70. Another study found increased skin thickness in participants between the ages of 45 to 59.

However, It is difficult to prove that oral collagen will end up working on your skin. Many of the studies using hydrolyzed collagen also add several vitamins and nutrients into the test mixture as well.

Further studies are needed at this time.

Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.

Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.

The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).

Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

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!

Similar Comparisons