Philosophy ultimate miracle worker fix retinol facial serum roller Versus Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Serum

Philosophy ultimate miracle worker fix retinol facial serum roller Versus Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Serum

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

This hydrating serum is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid and Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Glycerin

PEG-8

Propanediol

Pullulan

Butylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Squalane

Glycine Soja Oil

Polysilicone-11

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Caprylyl Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hydroxide

Alcohol

Polysorbate 60

Lecithin

Adenosine

Polysorbate 20

Retinol

Parfum

BHT

Laureth-3

Cellulose Gum

Chitosan

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glycolic Acid

Sorbitan Oleate

Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract

Sorbitan Isostearate

Hydrolyzed Soybean Extract

Pisum Sativum Extract

Carbomer

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Behentrimonium Chloride

Decyl Glucoside

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Potassium Phosphate

Limonene

Xanthan Gum

Hyaluronic Acid

Hexylene Glycol

Isopropyl Alcohol

Potassium Sorbate

Silanetriol

Sorbic Acid

Ascorbyl Palmitate

BHA

Tocopherol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Water, Dimethicone, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Glycerin, PEG-8, Propanediol, Pullulan, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Glycine Soja Oil, Polysilicone-11, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Lecithin, Adenosine, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Parfum, BHT, Laureth-3, Cellulose Gum, Chitosan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycolic Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrolyzed Soybean Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Behentrimonium Chloride, Decyl Glucoside, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Potassium Phosphate, Limonene, Xanthan Gum, Hyaluronic Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Silanetriol, Sorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, BHA, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Methylpropanediol

Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate

Xylitylglucoside

Anhydroxylitol

Xylitol

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Sorbitan Laurate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Alteromonas Ferment Extract

Phenethyl Alcohol

Glucose

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Water, Methylpropanediol, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Xylitol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Silanetriol, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Glucose, Sodium Hydroxide, Chondrus Crispus Extract

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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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester is a peptide composed of amino acids arginine and tyrosine.

This peptide is considered a neurotransmitter peptide, meaning it has pain-relieving and relaxing properties. It has the ability to calm skin irritation from external factors such as chemical stinging or heat.

Neurotransmitter peptides are also often called "botox in a bottle". This is because these peptides have the ability to relax the muscles.

Though relaxing the muscles can prevent expression lines (as we have seen in botox), the studies do not show these peptides to be a botox replacement. The effects of this muscle relaxation is also short-term, as opposed to longer-term results from botox.

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.

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).

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.

Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.

The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.

The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.

A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.

It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

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.

We don't have a description for Silanetriol yet.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Sorbic Acid is a preservative that stops your product from spoiling by stopping microbes from growing.

As a preservative, it's kind of a specialist: it has a broad spectrum of activity against yeast and molds but is weaker against bacteria. That's why it's often paired with another preservative to cover that gap.

This ingredient is also pretty picky about pH; it performs best at pH 6.5 or below.

At the right pH level, sorbic acid is "active" and can slip through the outer wall of a microbe. Once inside, it turns the cell's interior more acidic to shut down the microbe from the inside.

The EU caps this ingredient at 0.6% while the CIR has concluded it's safe at concentrations up to 1%. It's most often used around 0.05-0.2% in cosmetics.

Though this ingredient is considered low-sensitizing and well-tolerated, a very small number of people may have a contact allergy to it. Be sure to patch test if you have a history of allergies towards preservatives.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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