Algenist Genius Sleeping Collagen Versus Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream

Algenist Genius Sleeping Collagen Versus Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide NP to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide NP to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Collagen

Water

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Cetearyl Methicone

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Chlorella Protothecoides Oil

Polysorbate 60

Glyceryl Glucoside

Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate

Parachlorella Beijerinckii Exopolysaccharides

Collagen Amino Acids

Ceramide NP

Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract

Helianthus Annuus Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Tocopherol

Carnosine

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Caprylyl Glycol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Citric Acid

Lecithin

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Phytate

T-Butyl Alcohol

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Phenoxyethanol

Triethyl Citrate

Vanillin

Amyl Salicylate

Benzyl Acetate

Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil

Phenethyl Alcohol

Ionone

Linalool

Collagen, Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Chlorella Protothecoides Oil, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Parachlorella Beijerinckii Exopolysaccharides, Collagen Amino Acids, Ceramide NP, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Carnosine, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Triethyl Citrate, Vanillin, Amyl Salicylate, Benzyl Acetate, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ionone, Linalool

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Butylene Glycol

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Pentylene Glycol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract

Retinyl Palmitate

Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract

Atractylodes Macrocephala Root Extract

Iris Florentina Root Extract

Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Stearalkonium Bentonite

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Silica

Disodium EDTA

Cetyl Alcohol

Propylene Carbonate

Quartz

Chlorphenesin

Parfum

Coumarin

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Chlorella Protothecoides Oil, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Parachlorella Beijerinckii Exopolysaccharides, Collagen, Ceramide NP, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Atractylodes Macrocephala Root Extract, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Carbonate, Quartz, Phenoxyethanol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, Coumarin

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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.

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%.

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).

Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.

Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.

This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.

A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.

Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.

Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.

Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.

Chlorella Protothecoides Oil is an oil and isn't fungal acne safe.

Collagen is a big structural protein that your body uses to keep skin firm and bouncy. Despite the marketing, topically applied collagen doesn't "refill" the collagen in your skin.

The molecule is too big to pass through your skin barrier so intact Collagen physically can't get past the surface.

What it actually does in your skincare is work as a humectant and film-former: it binds water, lays down a light moisturizing film, and reduces water loss from the surface. This helps make skin feel smoother and temporarily plumper.

This ingredient has been found safe for use in cosmetics with clinical studies showing no irritation, sensitization, or phototoxicity. It's typically used at low concentrations (often a fraction of a percent up to a few percent).

Collagen will not increase sun sensitivity, but you should always wear sunscreen during the day.

Learn more about hydrolyzed collagen or soluble collagen.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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.

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.

Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.

This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.

Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).

We don't have a description for Parachlorella Beijerinckii Exopolysaccharides yet.

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!

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