Skin science article
Somethinc Skinlift 1% Copper Peptide Resveratrol Serum Versus Glow FX Glow Bomb Serum
Somethinc Skinlift 1% Copper Peptide Resveratrol Serum Versus Glow FX Glow Bomb Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Copper Tripeptide-1 and Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47 to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the sk
Somethinc Skinlift 1% Copper Peptide Resveratrol Serum Versus Glow FX Glow Bomb Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Copper Tripeptide-1 and Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47 to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.
This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Alpha-Arbutin to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Pentylene Glycol
Glycerin
Methylpropanediol
Copper Tripeptide-1
1,2-Hexanediol
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Hydrolyzed Ulva Lactuca Extract
Allantoin
Panthenol
Xanthan Gum
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47
Resveratrol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Synthetic Wax
Caprylyl Glycol
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Sorbate
Phenoxyethanol
C20-40 Pareth-10
Hydroxyethyl Behenamidopropyl Dimonium Chloride
Polyquaternium-67
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Copper Tripeptide-1, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrolyzed Ulva Lactuca Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47, Resveratrol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Synthetic Wax, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, C20-40 Pareth-10, Hydroxyethyl Behenamidopropyl Dimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-67
Niacinamide 8%
Butylene Glycol
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract 6%
Cyclopentasiloxane
Alpha-Arbutin 3%
Tranexamic Acid 2%
Diglycerin
Dimethicone
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Tocopheryl Acetate
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Polyacrylamide
Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Glycolic Acid
Lactic Acid
Chlorphenesin
Polyglutamic Acid
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Lauric Acid
Sodium Magnesium Silicate
Citric Acid
Disodium EDTA
Laureth-7
Lauryl Alcohol Diphosphonic Acid
Cyclotetrasiloxane
Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract
P-Anisic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Potassium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Water, Niacinamide 8%, Butylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract 6%, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alpha-Arbutin 3%, Tranexamic Acid 2%, Diglycerin, Dimethicone, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyacrylamide, Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Methylpropanediol, Chlorphenesin, Polyglutamic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lauric Acid, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Lauryl Alcohol Diphosphonic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, P-Anisic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
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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.
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
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.
Methylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.
As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.
Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.
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%.
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.
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!
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.