Face Gym Active Collagen Wonder Serum Versus Augustinus Bader The Elixir

Face Gym Active Collagen Wonder Serum Versus Augustinus Bader The Elixir

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Lactic Acid and Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This calming serum is formulated around Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract and Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Glycerin

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Lactic Acid

Glycogen

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Sh-Polypeptide-123

Quercetin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Polyglutamate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Pentylene Glycol

Beta-Carotene

Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract

Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Lecithin

Sodium Hydroxide

Citric Acid

Hydroxyacetophenone

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Lactic Acid, Glycogen, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sh-Polypeptide-123, Quercetin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate

Triethylhexanoin

Niacinamide

Cetearyl Alcohol

Lauroyl Lysine

Sucrose Polystearate

Triolein

Glyceryl Caprylate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Xanthan Gum

Behenyl Alcohol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Collagen Amino Acids

Ceramide NP

Glyceryl Dioleate

Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Levulinic Acid

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Sodium Phytate

Sodium Levulinate

Maltodextrin

Trehalose

Elastin

Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Adenosine

Cyclodextrin

Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein

Olea Europaea Fruit Extract

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Arginine

Brassica Alba Seed Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Oligopeptide-6

Oligopeptide-195

Oligopeptide-196

Oligopeptide-197

Oligopeptide-198

Oligopeptide-199

Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lauroyl Lysine, Sucrose Polystearate, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Triolein, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Behenyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Collagen Amino Acids, Ceramide NP, Glyceryl Dioleate, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Levulinic Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Levulinate, Maltodextrin, Trehalose, Elastin, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Adenosine, Cyclodextrin, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract, Lecithin, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Arginine, Brassica Alba Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Oligopeptide-6, Oligopeptide-195, Oligopeptide-196, Oligopeptide-197, Oligopeptide-198, Oligopeptide-199, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract comes from a green microalga. It is hydrating and contains antioxidants.

Studies also show Chlorella Vulgaris may help in rebuilding collagen and elastin. This ingredient is made up of lipids, carbohydrates, and chlorophyll.

Fun fact: This ingredient is commonly used as food additive in Japan.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.

As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.

Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.

This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.

You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.

Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.

An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.

So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.

Lactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.

Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.

Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.

Like glycolic acid, it can:

Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.

Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.

To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.

Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.

Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.

When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the product’s pH.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.

Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

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%.

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 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.

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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