Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex Versus Medik8 Eyelift Peptides

SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex Versus Medik8 Eyelift Peptides This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots. This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around P

SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex Versus Medik8 Eyelift Peptides

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Isohexadecane

Paraffin

Propylene Glycol

Silica

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Hexyl Laurate

Nylon-12

Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol

Methylsilanol/Silicate Crosspolymer

Polyethylene

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Octyldodecanol

Phenoxyethanol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

PEG-6 Isostearate

Triethanolamine

Sodium Citrate

Methylparaben

Chlorphenesin

Caffeine

Titanium Dioxide

Ethylparaben

Menthoxypropanediol

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Pentasodium Pentetate

Aluminum Hydroxide

Stearic Acid

Hesperetin Laurate

N-Hydroxysuccinimide

Dipeptide-2

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Chrysin

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Paraffin, Propylene Glycol, Silica, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Nylon-12, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Methylsilanol/Silicate Crosspolymer, Polyethylene, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, PEG-6 Isostearate, Triethanolamine, Sodium Citrate, Methylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Caffeine, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylparaben, Menthoxypropanediol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Pentasodium Pentetate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Hesperetin Laurate, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Chrysin

Alcohol Denat.

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Xanthan Gum

Tribehenin

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Benzyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Steareth-20

Ceramide Ng

PEG-10 Phytosterol

Dehydroacetic Acid

Glycine Soja Protein

Sodium Benzoate

Superoxide Dismutase

Benzoic Acid

Sorbic Acid

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Carbomer

Potassium Sorbate

Chlorhexidine Digluconate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Dextran Sulfate

Tocopherol

Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Tribehenin, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Steareth-20, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Ceramide Ng, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Glycine Soja Protein, Sodium Benzoate, Superoxide Dismutase, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Chrysin, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Polysorbate 20, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Tocopherol

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.

We don't have a description for Chrysin yet.

Dipeptide-2 is a peptide. It can help to reduce the effects of aging.

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.

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone (HMC) is a modified form of hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid. It has antioxidant properties.

In preclinical research, HMC has been studied for its ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation related to UVB exposure. Outside of cosmetics, HMC has been looked at for its effects on capillary leakage and swelling. This is why you'll often see this ingredient in eye creams.

Overall, HMC is a gentle and supportive ingredient. Further research is needed on the claims that this ingredient can "erase dark circles".

We don't have a description for N-Hydroxysuccinimide yet.

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (formerly Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3) is a synthetic peptide. Its main job is to fight what researchers call "inflammaging".

"Inflammaging" is the slow, low-grade chronic inflammation that quietly breaks down collagen as we age.

This ingredient calms down a specific inflammation signal in your skin cells (called IL-6). When left unchecked, this signal triggers enzymes that break down collagen and elastin.

Clinical testing showed statistically significant improvements in:

Studies also found the more of this ingredient used, the more your skin produces Collagen I, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.

You'll likely see this ingredient paired with Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 in the well-known Matrixyl 3000 complex for enhanced anti-aging effects.

A 3% concentration applied twice daily for two months showed meaningful skin rejuvenation results in clinical panels.

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Medik8 Eyelift Peptides

Medik8 Eyelift Peptides Ingredients in Medik8 Eyelift Peptides explained: benefits, concerns, and detailed analysis of 32 ingredients including Water, Alcohol Denat., and Glycerin A eye moi…

Source: skinsort.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side