Skin science article
Tula Skincare Beauty Sleep Overnight Repair Treatment Versus DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream
Tula Skincare Beauty Sleep Overnight Repair Treatment Versus DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream This barrier-repair treatment is formulated around Bacillus Ferment and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This anti-aging night mo
Tula Skincare Beauty Sleep Overnight Repair Treatment Versus DRMTLGY Peptide Night Cream
This barrier-repair treatment is formulated around Bacillus Ferment and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Bacillus Ferment
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Propanediol
Cyclopentasiloxane
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Maltodextrin
Cetyl Alcohol
Myristyl Myristate
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Dipentaerythrityl Pentaisononanoate
Lactobacillus
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Plankton Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Arginine Ferulate
Glycolic Acid
Lactic Acid
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Pistacia Lentiscus Gum
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Lactose
Milk Protein
Swertia Chirata Extract
Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract
Yogurt Extract
Hedychium Spicatum Extract
Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract
Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract
Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Hibiscus Abelmoschus Seed Extract
Sophora Japonica Flower Extract
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Potassium Sorbate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Tocopheryl Acetate
Panthenol
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Sodium Phytate
Lecithin
Tocopherol
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Methyldihydrojasmonate
Ethylene Brassylate
Methyl Undecylenate
Ethyl Undecylenate
Phenylisohexanol
Polystyrene
Sodium Ascorbate
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Behenyl Alcohol
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate
Isohexadecane
Caprylyl Glycol
Butylene Glycol
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Polysorbate 80
Alcohol
Hexylene Glycol
Sodium Lactate
Sodium PCA
Sodium Benzoate
Tetrasodium EDTA
Phenethyl Alcohol
Tin Oxide
Phenoxyethanol
Limonene
Linalool
Hydroxycitronellal
Mica
CI 77891
Water, Glycerin, Bacillus Ferment, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Maltodextrin, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dipentaerythrityl Pentaisononanoate, Lactobacillus, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Plankton Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine Ferulate, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pistacia Lentiscus Gum, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Lactose, Milk Protein, Swertia Chirata Extract, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract, Yogurt Extract, Hedychium Spicatum Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Abelmoschus Seed Extract, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Sodium Phytate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Ethylene Brassylate, Methyl Undecylenate, Ethyl Undecylenate, Phenylisohexanol, Polystyrene, Sodium Ascorbate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Isohexadecane, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polysorbate 80, Alcohol, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenethyl Alcohol, Tin Oxide, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Mica, CI 77891
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Isopropyl Palmitate
Undecane
Dimethicone
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Ceramide NP
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Phytosphingosine
Cholesterol
Tridecane
Allantoin
Glycol Distearate
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Carbomer
Polysorbate 20
Dextran
Magnesium Chloride
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Xanthan Gum
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Propanediol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Undecane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Tridecane, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Glycol Distearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Dextran, Magnesium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum
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.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage.
Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin. Just know this one's based on experience and not evidence.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
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.
Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
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.
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!