Skin science article
Youth To The People Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum Versus Youth To The People Superfood Skin Drip Smooth + Glow Barrier Serum
Youth To The People Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum Versus Youth To The People Superfood Skin Drip Smooth + Glow Barrier Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wri
Youth To The People Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum Versus Youth To The People Superfood Skin Drip Smooth + Glow Barrier Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Capryloyl Salicylic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
Pentylene Glycol
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Synthetic Sapphire
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Nephelium Lappaceum Peel Extract
Sodium PCA
Glutathione
Malachite Extract
Citric Acid
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Polyglutamic Acid
1,2-Hexanediol
Caprylyl Glycol
Sodium Lactate
Carbomer
Propanediol
Polysorbate 20
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Xanthan Gum
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Synthetic Sapphire, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Nephelium Lappaceum Peel Extract, Sodium PCA, Glutathione, Malachite Extract, Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Polyglutamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Propanediol, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Niacinamide
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Triethyl Citrate
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Medicago Sativa Extract
Spinacia Oleracea
Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract
Adenosine
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Bisabolol
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Carnosine
Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Sodium Hydroxide
Taraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tocopherol
Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil
Ceramide NP
Boron Nitride
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Glucoside
CI 77891
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Glucomannan
Glyceryl Stearate
PEG-100 Stearate
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Tin Oxide
Trihydroxystearin
CI 77288
Chlorphenesin
Parfum
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Propanediol, Triethyl Citrate, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Spinacia Oleracea, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Bisabolol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Carnosine, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Taraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Boron Nitride, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, CI 77891, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glucomannan, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Trihydroxystearin, Xanthan Gum, CI 77288, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, 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.
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.
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.
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 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.