Skintific Gentle A Retinol Renewal Serum Versus Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm® Advanced Lifting Serum

Skintific Gentle A Retinol Renewal Serum Versus Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm® Advanced Lifting Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinol and Retinal to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Diethoxyethyl Succinate

Retinol

Retinal

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate

Niacinamide

Propanediol

Carbomer

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Calcium Alginate

Agar

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5

Sodium Hyaluronate

Disodium EDTA

Ceramide As

Centella Asiatica Extract

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide Ng

Tocopherol

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

O-Cymen-5-Ol

Pentylene Glycol

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Gentiana Scabra Root Extract

Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract

Carnosine

Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract

Hexylene Glycol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Retinol, Retinal, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Calcium Alginate, Agar, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Ceramide As, Centella Asiatica Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Gentiana Scabra Root Extract, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Carnosine, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Cyclopentasiloxane

Silica

PEG-10 Dimethicone

Dimethicone

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Polysilicone-11

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Vp/Va Copolymer

Polysorbate 40

Sorbitol

Mica

Caprylyl Glycol

Chlorphenesin

Alpinia Galanga Leaf Extract

Menthyl Lactate

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Sodium Chloride

Secale Cereale Seed Extract

Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture

Cyclohexasiloxane

Triethanolamine

Dihydroxy Methylchromone

Pisum Sativum Extract

Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract

Xanthan Gum

Caprylic Acid

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sodium Citrate

Tin Oxide

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Cyclodextrin

Maltodextrin

Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate

Dextran

Tripeptide-1

CI 77891

Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Silica, Glycerin, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysilicone-11, Pentylene Glycol, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Vp/Va Copolymer, Polysorbate 40, Sorbitol, Mica, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Alpinia Galanga Leaf Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Chloride, Secale Cereale Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture, Cyclohexasiloxane, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Dihydroxy Methylchromone, Pisum Sativum Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Citrate, Tin Oxide, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Cyclodextrin, Maltodextrin, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Dextran, Tripeptide-1, CI 77891

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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.

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.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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