SK-II R.N.A. POWER Anti-Aging Face Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Serum (Fragrance Free)

SK-II R.N.A. POWER Anti-Aging Face Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Serum (Fragrance Free)

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Panthenol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate

Isohexadecane

Niacinamide

Isopropyl Isostearate

Butylene Glycol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Pentylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Stearyl Alcohol

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Cetyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Panthenol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Benzyl Alcohol

Dimethiconol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Methylparaben

PEG-100 Stearate

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Polysorbate 80

Stearic Acid

Disodium EDTA

Propylparaben

Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate

Ethylparaben

Sorbitan Oleate

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Sodium Hydroxide

Parfum

Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract

Polyquaternium-7

Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Methylsilanol Tri-PEG-8 Glyceryl Cocoate

Methicone

CI 77891

CI 77492

Water, Glycerin, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Isohexadecane, Niacinamide, Isopropyl Isostearate, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Methylparaben, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysorbate 80, Stearic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Ethylparaben, Sorbitan Oleate, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Polyquaternium-7, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Methylsilanol Tri-PEG-8 Glyceryl Cocoate, Methicone, CI 77891, CI 77492

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Hydroxyacetophenone

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Laureth-4

Polysorbate 20

Laureth-7

Polyacrylamide

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-4, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Polyacrylamide, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

You might know this ingredient as Matrixyl. It is a synthetic peptide made up of five amino acids attached to a palmitic acid, a fatty acid that helps it absorb into skin more easily.

As a signal peptide, Matrixyl acts like a little messenger. Once it reaches your skin cells, it tells them to ramp up production of collagen, elastin, and other proteins that keep skin looking firm and smooth.

A 12 week clinical study found that a moisturizer containing just 3 ppm of Matrixyl led to a significant improvement in fine-lines and wrinkles. Another study showed an 18% reduction in wrinkle depth, 37% reduction in wrinkle thickness, and a 21% improvement in skin firmness after just 28 days of twice-daily use.

The coolest part is that it works at incredibly low concentrations (like 0.0003%) and it plays well with other actives.

The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel found it to be non-sensitizing across multiple tests and human patch tests also showed no irritation or sensitization.

Fun fact: Matrixyl was originally developed by French company Sederma and Procter & Gamble.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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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