The INKEY List Peptide Moisturizer Versus Coxir Intensive EGF Peptide Cream

The INKEY List Peptide Moisturizer Versus Coxir Intensive EGF Peptide Cream

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Sh-Oligopeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Betaine

Butylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Carbomer

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Sodium Hydroxide

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Gluconate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Dehydroacetic Acid

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Phenethyl Alcohol

Acetyl Hexapeptide-37

Maltodextrin

Pentapeptide-48

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Maltodextrin, Pentapeptide-48

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Propylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Methyl Gluceth-20

Niacinamide

1,2-Hexanediol

Diisostearyl Malate

Cyclomethicone

PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Isohexadecane

Polysorbate 80

Adenosine

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Copper Tripeptide-1

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Tri-C14-15 Alkyl Citrate

Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract

Malpighia Emarginata Fruit Extract

Arginine

Panthenol

Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract

Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract

Lilium Tigrinum Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract

Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract

Xanthan Gum

Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract

Buddleja Davidii Extract

Thymus Vulgaris Extract

Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract

Phaseolus Radiatus Meristem Cell Culture Extract

Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Methyl Gluceth-20, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Diisostearyl Malate, Cyclomethicone, PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Adenosine, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Tri-C14-15 Alkyl Citrate, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Malpighia Emarginata Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arginine, Carbomer, Panthenol, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract, Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract, Buddleja Davidii Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract, Phaseolus Radiatus Meristem Cell Culture Extract, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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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