Skin science article
Skintific 360 Crystal Massager Lifting Eye Cream Versus MediCube Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream
Skintific 360 Crystal Massager Lifting Eye Cream Versus MediCube Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate to soften the look of wrinkles an
Skintific 360 Crystal Massager Lifting Eye Cream Versus MediCube Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Maris Aqua
Propanediol
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Glycerin
Cyclopentasiloxane
Cetyl Alcohol
Erythritol
Dimethicone
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Cyclohexasiloxane
Glyceryl Stearate
Hydroxyacetophenone
1,2-Hexanediol
Tocopheryl Acetate
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
PEG-75 Stearate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Steareth-20
Ceteth-20
Butylene Glycol
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Niacinamide
Caffeine
Xanthan Gum
Trehalose
Sophora Flavescens Root Extract
Dendrobium Nobile Stem Extract
Pentylene Glycol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Disodium EDTA
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Echinacea Purpurea Extract
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Polysorbate 20
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Carbomer
Ceramide NP
Tocopherol
Arginine
Ceramide Ns
Ceramide Ng
Ceramide As
Ceramide EOP
Ceramide AP
Water, Maris Aqua, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Erythritol, Dimethicone, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, PEG-75 Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Steareth-20, Ceteth-20, Butylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Niacinamide, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Trehalose, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Dendrobium Nobile Stem Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Polysorbate 20, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Carbomer, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Arginine, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP
Methylpropanediol
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
Dipropylene Glycol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Panthenol
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Copper Tripeptide-1
Squalane
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Cetearyl Olivate
C14-22 Alcohols
Stearyl Alcohol
Sorbitan Olivate
Polysorbate 60
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Dimethiconol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Saccharide Hydrolysate
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Fructooligosaccharides
Allantoin
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Caprylyl Glycol
Pullulan
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
Adenosine
Sorbitan Laurate
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Myristyl Alcohol
Myristic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Glucose
Arachidic Acid
Lauryl Alcohol
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Atelocollagen
Desamido Collagen
Oleic Acid
Hydrolyzed Elastin
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Soluble Collagen
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Collagen
Collagen Amino Acids
Procollagen
Magnesium PCA
Serine
Sucrose
Glycine
Calcium Chloride
Sea Salt
Alanine
Magnesium Chloride
Threonine
Histidine
Aspartic Acid
Valine
Proline
Dipotassium Phosphate
Lysine
Leucine
Tyrosine
Isoleucine
Magnesium Citrate
Glucosamine Hcl
Phenylalanine
Glutamic Acid
1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Asparagine
Citrulline
Methionine
Taurine
Tryptophan
Formic Acid
Glutamine
Cysteine
Parfum
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Copper Tripeptide-1, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Cetearyl Olivate, C14-22 Alcohols, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Fructooligosaccharides, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Pullulan, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Adenosine, Sorbitan Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Myristyl Alcohol, Myristic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Glucose, Arachidic Acid, Lauryl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Atelocollagen, Desamido Collagen, Oleic Acid, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Collagen, Collagen Amino Acids, Procollagen, Magnesium PCA, Serine, Sucrose, Glycine, Calcium Chloride, Sea Salt, Alanine, Magnesium Chloride, Threonine, Histidine, Aspartic Acid, Valine, Proline, Dipotassium Phosphate, Lysine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Isoleucine, Magnesium Citrate, Glucosamine Hcl, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Asparagine, Citrulline, Methionine, Taurine, Tryptophan, Formic Acid, Glutamine, Cysteine, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
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.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
Emollient, helping to soften skin
Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
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.
Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil is from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. It is a skin conditioning agent and emollient that sits on top of skin to soften and hydrate it.
Over 98% of the oil is made up of long-chain fatty acids, mostly aachidic acid (61%), docosenoic acid (~16%), and docosadienoic acid (~18%).
This combination is not really found in any other plant oil and is the reason this is one of the most stable botanical oils available.
Some studies show it to be more stable than jojoba oil, helps a product resist going rancid, and can help extend the shelf life of a formula.
It also naturally contains vitamin E and phytosterols that give it a mild antioxidant benefit.
This ingredient is typically used from around 1% to fairly high levels since it's gentle; it's well-tolerated and low on the irritation scale.
Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
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!