SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex Versus PCA Skin Pro-Max Age Renewal Advanced Serum

SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex Versus PCA Skin Pro-Max Age Renewal Advanced Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media

Isoceteth-20

Ethoxydiglycol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Aminomethyl Propanol

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Parfum

Hydroxycitronellal

Linalool

Coumarin

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Geraniol

Isoeugenol

Human Neonatal Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Coumarin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Isoeugenol

Water

Polysilicone-11

Propanediol

Butylene Glycol

PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Sodium Benzoate

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylene Brassylate

Pullulan

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Lactic Acid

Laureth-12

Carnosine

Tricholoma Matsutake Extract

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract

Porphyridium Cruentum Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Bacillus Ferment

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Acetyl Tripeptide-54 Amide

Acetyl Tripeptide-74 Amide

Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-1 Amide

Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-3 Amide

Ergothioneine

Water, Polysilicone-11, Propanediol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylene Brassylate, Pullulan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid, Laureth-12, Carnosine, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Bacillus Ferment, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Tripeptide-54 Amide, Acetyl Tripeptide-74 Amide, Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-1 Amide, Palmitoyl Sh-Tripeptide-3 Amide, Ergothioneine

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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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

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.

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.

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