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Skin science article

The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum Versus COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum

The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum Versus COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinami

The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum Versus COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Propanediol

Phenoxyethanol

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Sodium Phytate

Citric Acid

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Carbomer

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Lactate

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate

Polysorbate 20

Polysorbate 60

Disodium Phosphate

Sodium Phosphate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Carbomer, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Dipropylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Copper Tripeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-121

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Oligopeptide-68

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8

Allantoin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Acetyl Glucosamine

Serine

Alanine

Glycine

Threonine

Arginine

Proline

Betaine

Sodium PCA

PCA

Glutamic Acid

Lysine Hcl

Tocopherol

Dextran

Glycine Soja Oil

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Polyquaternium-51

Disodium EDTA

Caprylyl Glycol

T-Butyl Alcohol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Oleate

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-121, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Oligopeptide-68, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Betaine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Tocopherol, Dextran, Glycine Soja Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Polyquaternium-51, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Oleate

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.

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.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.

This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.

High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.

Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  4. 04Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  5. 05Though 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.
  6. 06Carbomer 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.
  7. 07Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
  8. 08It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
  9. 09Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
  10. 10A 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.
  11. 11Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  12. 12Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  13. 13Your 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.
  14. 14Aquaporin-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.
  15. 15This 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.
  16. 16Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  17. 17Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  18. 18Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (formerly Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3) is a synthetic peptide. Its main job is to fight what researchers call "inflammaging".
  19. 19"Inflammaging" is the slow, low-grade chronic inflammation that quietly breaks down collagen as we age.
  20. 20This ingredient calms down a specific inflammation signal in your skin cells (called IL-6). When left unchecked, this signal triggers enzymes that break down collagen and elastin.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster

COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster ingredients explained: Niacinamide, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Butylene Gl…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side

04

Ask the journal

Related questions

01What if you see no results after several weeks

First, ensure you are applying correctly and consistently. Sporadic use will not deliver results. Second, verify your expectations are realistic. Peptides produce gradual improvements, not dramatic transformations. Third, consider whether other factors are counteracting benefits. Sun exposure without protection, smoking, poor sleep, and dehydration all undermine skincare efforts. If you have used the product correctly for three months without any noticeable improvement, the serum may simply not work for your skin chemistry. Individual response to cosmetic ingredients varies, and no product works universally. Consider trying a different peptide formulation or alternative anti-aging active.

Source · seekpeptides.com