SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum Versus Allies of Skin Multi Peptides & GF Advanced Lifting Serum

SkinMedica TNS® Advanced+ Serum Versus Allies of Skin Multi Peptides & GF Advanced Lifting Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sh-Oligopeptide-1 and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Heptyl Glucoside

Isodecyl Neopentanoate

Acacia Senegal Gum

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Phospholipids

Glycolipids

Dimethyl Sulfone

Ornithine

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb Extract

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Pentapeptide-18

Pentapeptide-48

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Caprylyl Glycol

Levulinic Acid

P-Anisic Acid

Sodium Gluconate

Maltodextrin

Citric Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Heptanol

Phenethyl Alcohol

Water, Glycerin, Heptyl Glucoside, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Polysorbate 20, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Dimethyl Sulfone, Ornithine, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb Extract, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Pentapeptide-18, Pentapeptide-48, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Levulinic Acid, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Propanediol, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Heptanol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

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.

Sclerotium Gum is a natural sugar-based fiber made by fermenting a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. It's often used as the plant-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners like carbomer.

In skincare, it works as a thickener, gel former, and stabilizer that keeps heavy ingredients suspended so a product does not separate.

It is non-ionic and forms a triple helix in solution. This is just a fancy way of saying it builds a smooth, cushiony, and non-sticky gel that feels silkier than many other gums.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it is very sturdy and holds up across a wide pH range (~2-11). It's also good at resisting heat and hydrolysis.

Since it holds water at the skin surface, it can provide some light hydration as well.

Typical use levels are around 0.25-2%; formulators usually use 0.2-0.5% to thicken lotions and up to 2% for a firmer gel base.

This ingredient has been found safe in cosmetics with no meaningful evidence of skin sensitization.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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