Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx® Lip Filler Versus IMAGE skincare Ormedic Sheer Pink Lip Enhancement Complex

Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx® Lip Filler Versus IMAGE skincare Ormedic Sheer Pink Lip Enhancement Complex

This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips.

This anti-aging lip moisturizer is formulated around Persea Gratissima Oil and Atelocollagen to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate lips.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Polyisobutene

Squalane

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Octyldodecanol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Vinyl Dimethicone/Lauryl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Tribehenin

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Silica

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract

Glucomannan

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Glyceryl Caprylate

Linoleic Acid

Tocopheryl Acetate

Palmitic Acid

Mentha Piperita Oil

Tocopherol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract

Linolenic Acid

Trihydroxystearin

Sorbitan Isostearate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Glyceryl Undecylenate

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate

Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer

Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Water

Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer

Mica

Tin Oxide

Titanium Dioxide

CI 77491

Polyisobutene, Squalane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Octyldodecanol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vinyl Dimethicone/Lauryl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Tribehenin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Silica, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract, Glucomannan, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glyceryl Caprylate, Linoleic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitic Acid, Mentha Piperita Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract, Linolenic Acid, Trihydroxystearin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Water, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Mica, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer

Persea Gratissima Oil

Phenyl Trimethicone

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer

Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer

Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Aroma

Limonene

CI 77891

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Atelocollagen

Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract

Linalool

Citral

Oryzanol

Ubiquinone

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Persea Gratissima Oil, Phenyl Trimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Tribehenin, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Aroma, Tocopheryl Acetate, Mica, Limonene, CI 77891, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Atelocollagen, Caesalpinia Sappan Bark Extract, Tocopherol, Linalool, Citral, Tin Oxide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Oryzanol, Ubiquinone

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid.

In cosmetics, it plays many roles:

One thing worth noting: a controlled study found this ingredient applied under occlusion to acne-prone subjects increased microcomedones. Just keep in mind this was under occlusive conditions and don't reflect how most products are used day-to-day.

For most people, this is a well-tolerated and lightweight ingredient.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is an ester of palmitic acid, a C16 fatty acid that falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.

Mica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.

Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.

This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.

Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.

That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.

Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.

In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.

Human clinical data is promising, but modest:

A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.

A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.

You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.

Fungal acne note: Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.

In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.

Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.

Tin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.

Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

Tribehenin is the triglyceride of glycerin and behenic acid. It is an emollient that helps soften and condition skin.

Safety-wise, this is a well-vetted ingredient. Repeated-insult patch tests of 0.38% tribehenin did not trigger sensitization.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because behenic acid falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia yeasts can feed on.

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