SkinCity Skincare Multi-Action Serum Versus Niod Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1 (CAIS2)

SkinCity Skincare Multi-Action Serum Versus Niod Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1 (CAIS2)

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and calm redness.

This serum is formulated around Lactococcus Ferment Lysate to support the skin barrier and reduce redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Isohexadecane

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Polysorbate 20

Isopropyl Palmitate

Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract

Silica

Xanthan Gum

Alcohol

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer

Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Lecithin

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Steareth-20

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract

Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer

Carbomer

Sodium Lactate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Citrate

Potassium Sorbate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Citric Acid

Acetyl Hexapeptide-1

Dipeptide-2

Caprylyl Glycol

Tripeptide-1

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Tetrapeptide-30

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isohexadecane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Lecithin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Steareth-20, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Citric Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Dipeptide-2, Caprylyl Glycol, Tripeptide-1, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tetrapeptide-30, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Lactococcus Ferment Lysate

Ethyl Linoleate

Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate

Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3

Yeast Extract

Soy Amino Acids

Bisabolol

Pseudoalteromonas Exopolysaccharides

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Sodium Salicylate

Sodium Chloride

Pentylene Glycol

Ethoxydiglycol

Chlorphenesin

Water, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Ethyl Linoleate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Yeast Extract, Soy Amino Acids, Bisabolol, Pseudoalteromonas Exopolysaccharides, Lecithin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Salicylate, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Pentylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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.

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.

Isohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.

Due to its large size, Isohexadecane is not absorbed by the skin. Instead, it sits on top and acts as an emollient. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by trapping moisture within.

Isohexadecane is often used in products designed to help oily skin. It is lightweight and non-greasy while helping to moisturize. When mixed with silicones, it gives a product a silky feel.

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.

Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

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.

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.

In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.

Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.

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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