StriVectin Peptide Plump Line Filling Bounce Serum Versus Nuface Fix Serum

StriVectin Peptide Plump Line Filling Bounce Serum Versus Nuface Fix Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Propanediol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract

Glyceryl Ricinoleate

Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Silica Crosspolymer

Betaine

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Olea Europaea Leaf Extract

Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Extract

Pentapeptide-84 Amide Acetate

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Beta-Glucan

Myristyl Nicotinate

Citric Acid

Biotin

Tocopherol

Dimethyl Isosorbide

1,2-Hexanediol

Cetearyl Olivate

Dimethicone

Sorbitan Olivate

Polyisobutene

Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Polysilicone-11

Sorbitan Isostearate

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Polysorbate 80

PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether

Hydroxyacetophenone

Pentylene Glycol

Polysorbate 60

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Caprylyl Glycol

Adenosine

Carbomer

Sodium Citrate

Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Parfum

Limonene

Linalool

Phenoxyethanol

CI 17200

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Silica Crosspolymer, Betaine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Extract, Pentapeptide-84 Amide Acetate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Beta-Glucan, Myristyl Nicotinate, Citric Acid, Biotin, Tocopherol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyisobutene, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysilicone-11, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Polysorbate 80, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Adenosine, Carbomer, Sodium Citrate, Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, CI 17200

Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Sea Silt Extract

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52

Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18

N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate

Olivine Extract

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Xanthan Gum

Poloxamer 338

Silica

Mica

Glyceryl Caprylate

Glyceryl Undecylenate

Benzyl Alcohol

Potassium Sorbate

Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer

Polyvinyl Alcohol

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Metabisulfite

CI 77163

Iron Oxides

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Sea Silt Extract, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Olivine Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Betaine, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Poloxamer 338, Tocopherol, Sodium Citrate, Silica, Mica, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Metabisulfite, CI 77163, Iron Oxides

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

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

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).

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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.

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.

It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.

Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.

Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.

Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.

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.

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.

Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.

Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.

The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).

Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

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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