Algenist Genius Sleeping Collagen Versus Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream

Algenist Genius Sleeping Collagen Versus Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream

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

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Tocopherol 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

Isononyl Isononanoate

Glyceryl Stearate

Butylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

C10-18 Triglycerides

Diglycerin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

PEG-100 Stearate

Myristyl Myristate

Nelumbo Nucifera Extract

Prunus Persica Leaf Extract

Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate

Behenyl Alcohol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Cetyl Palmitate

Cocoglycerides

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Parfum

Sodium Metabisulfite

BHT

Tetrasodium EDTA

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Limonene

Benzyl Salicylate

Citral

Water, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Diglycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, PEG-100 Stearate, Myristyl Myristate, Nelumbo Nucifera Extract, Prunus Persica Leaf Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Behenyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Cocoglycerides, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Metabisulfite, BHT, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral

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%.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

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.

T-Butyl Alcohol (aka tert-butanol) is a small, clear, camphor-smelling alcohol.

It has two main jobs:

On the safety side, it's well-studied and has a solid track record. Human repeat-insult patch testing showed no skin irritation or sensitization even at 100%.

Typical use levels are pretty tiny, usually less than 1%.

You might see some fear-mongering around this ingredient:

Studies in male rats showed kidney effects but that's because of a rat-specific protein that humans don't make. So this study isn't really relevant to humans.

Though it's not a typical fragrance like parfum, it does have a natural scent. That's why the official COSIng database lists it as 'perfuming' ingredient. It can be used to modify the scent of a formula.

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!

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