Skin science article
Skin Actives Scientific High Potency EGF Serum Versus SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum
Skin Actives Scientific High Potency EGF Serum Versus SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sh-Oligopeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns No concerns Ingredients Side-by-s
Skin Actives Scientific High Potency EGF Serum Versus SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sh-Oligopeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Lactobacillus/Kelp Ferment Filtrate
Glycerin
Sodium PCA
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Phenoxyethanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Sorbic Acid
Water, Lactobacillus/Kelp Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid
Pentylene Glycol
Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media
Glycereth-7 Triacetate
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Ethoxydiglycol
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Whey Protein
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Saccharide Isomerate
Dimer Tripeptide-43
Vitis Vinifera Flower Cell Extract
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Hydroxyacetophenone
Tocopheryl Acetate
Propanediol
Xanthan Gum
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Polyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Sclerotium Gum
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Lecithin
Pullulan
Butylene Glycol
Sodium Citrate
Polysorbate 20
Aminomethyl Propanol
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Glycereth-7 Triacetate, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Whey Protein, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Dimer Tripeptide-43, Vitis Vinifera Flower Cell Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Sclerotium Gum, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Lecithin, Pullulan, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
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.
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!