Boots Ingredients Collagen Booster Versus Boots Scar Reduction Serum

Boots Ingredients Collagen Booster Versus Boots Scar Reduction Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Fucus Vesiculosus Extract to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This brightening serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to fade the look of dark spots and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Carbomer

Methylparaben

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Ethylhexylglycerin

Chlorphenesin

Sodium Hydroxide

Hexylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Caprylyl Glycol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Acacia Seyal Gum Extract

Citric Acid

Denatonium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acacia Seyal Gum Extract, Citric Acid, Denatonium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

Cyclopentasiloxane

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Cyclohexasiloxane

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Galactoarabinan

Magnesium Sulfate

PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone

Sodium PCA

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Hexyl Laurate

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate

Medicago Sativa Extract

Ethylparaben

Propylene Glycol

Tetrasodium EDTA

Acinos Alpinus Extract

Polysorbate 20

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Morus Alba Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Galactoarabinan, Magnesium Sulfate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Medicago Sativa Extract, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Acinos Alpinus Extract, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Morus Alba Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

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.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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.

Methylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.

Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.

This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.

In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.

Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:

Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.

You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.

It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.

There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.

But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.

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.

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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