Skin science article
ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense Versus Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Serum
ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense Versus Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Serum This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Laminaria Digitata Extract and Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This hydrating serum is
ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense Versus Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Serum
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Laminaria Digitata Extract and Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This hydrating serum is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid and Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Glycerin
Pentylene Glycol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Steareth-20
Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract
Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture
Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture
Retinyl Palmitate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Tocopherol
Micrococcus Lysate
Caprylyl Glycol
Hexylene Glycol
Lactose
Galactoarabinan
Lecithin
Schizophyllan
Beta-Glucan
1,2-Hexanediol
Carbomer
Cellulose
Maltodextrin
C14-22 Alcohols
Cetearyl Glucoside
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Benzoate
Parfum
CI 77007
Limonene
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Micrococcus Lysate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Lactose, Galactoarabinan, Lecithin, Schizophyllan, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Cellulose, Maltodextrin, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetearyl Glucoside, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, CI 77007, Limonene
Methylpropanediol
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
Butylene Glycol
Xylitylglucoside
Anhydroxylitol
Xylitol
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Sorbitan Laurate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Xanthan Gum
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Phenethyl Alcohol
Hyaluronic Acid
Silanetriol
Citric Acid
Sorbic Acid
Glucose
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Water, Methylpropanediol, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Xylitol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Silanetriol, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Glucose, Sodium Hydroxide, Chondrus Crispus Extract
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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.
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
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).
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.
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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
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!