Skin Treat Bakuchiol + Peptide Face Elixir Versus Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Serum

Skin Treat Bakuchiol + Peptide Face Elixir Versus Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Bakuchiol and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Betaine

Propanediol

Sodium Polyacrylate

Bakuchiol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Collagen

Phenoxyethanol

Glycerin

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Tocopheryl Acetate

Brassica Campestris Seed Oil

Persea Gratissima Oil

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Camelina Sativa Seed Oil

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Caprylyl Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Citric Acid

Parfum

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Betaine, Propanediol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Bakuchiol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Collagen, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Parfum

Lactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

Pullulan

Carbomer

Porphyridium Cruentum Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Baicalin

Sodium Hydroxide

Hexapeptide-47

Water, Betaine, Lactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pullulan, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Baicalin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexapeptide-47

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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.

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

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.

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.

Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.

This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.

Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).

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.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

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

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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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