It's Skin Collagen Nutrition Serum Versus Etude House Moistfull Collagen Emulsion

It's Skin Collagen Nutrition Serum Versus Etude House Moistfull Collagen Emulsion

This hydrating serum is formulated around Laminaria Japonica Extract to hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Glycereth-26

Butylene Glycol

Cyclomethicone

Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

PEG-32

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Ethoxydiglycol

PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Laminaria Japonica Extract

Cetyl Alcohol

Polysorbate 60

Polyacrylate-13

Sorbitan Oleate

Caprylyl Glycol

Polyisobutene

Parfum

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Glycerin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dimethicone

Hydrolyzed Malt Extract

Saussurea Involucrata Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Panthenol

Stearic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract

Carbomer

Triethanolamine

Xanthan Gum

BHT

Disodium EDTA

CI 15985

CI 14700

Water, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, PEG-32, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Ethoxydiglycol, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Polyacrylate-13, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyisobutene, Parfum, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Malt Extract, Saussurea Involucrata Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, BHT, Disodium EDTA, CI 15985, CI 14700

Hydrolyzed Collagen 18.68%

Propanediol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Methyl Trimethicone

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

1,2-Hexanediol

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

C14-22 Alcohols

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Arachidyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside

Behenyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Caprylate

Tromethamine

Arachidyl Glucoside

Sorbitan Isostearate

Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein

Glucose

Tocopherol

Water, Hydrolyzed Collagen 18.68%, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Methyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, C14-22 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tromethamine, Arachidyl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Glucose, Tocopherol

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.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

Hydrolyzed Collagen is Collagen (usually sourced from fish, bovine, or porcine byproducts) that's been broken down into smaller peptides. This makes it water-soluble and easy to blend into formulations.

In a formula, it works mainly as a skin-conditioning and moisturizing agent.

The small peptides and amino acids (including Natural Moisturizing Factor components like Hydroxyproline, Serine, and Aspartic Acid) help the surface of the skin hold onto water, feel softer, and look temporarily plumper.

This ingredient also has mild film-forming and antioxidant properties with research showing the antioxidant effect is stronger the lower the molecular weight of the peptides.

It's worth being realistic here:

Topically applied Hydrolyzed Collagen conditions the upper layers of skin rather than rebuilding the structural collagen deep in your dermis (the wrinkle-and-firmness benefits people associate with Collagen mostly come from oral supplements in studies, not topicals).

However, recent lab and skin-model work on Hydrolyzed Fish Collagen has shown promising effects on cell viability and wound healing when used as an active.

Typical concentrations range from 0.2-2%, but the percentage can go much higher in rinse-off or hair products (sometimes even above 50%).

Clinical studies on this ingredient showed no irritation, sensitization, or phototoxicity.

If you are looking for vegan collagen, it usually goes by a different INCI name like hydrolyzed soy protein. Vegan collagen is derived from yeast, bacteria, or plant sources.

The results are varied.

A study from 2021 found hydrolyzed collagen increased elasticity and improved wrinkles in 1,125 participants between age 20 and 70. Another study found increased skin thickness in participants between the ages of 45 to 59.

However, It is difficult to prove that oral collagen will end up working on your skin. Many of the studies using hydrolyzed collagen also add several vitamins and nutrients into the test mixture as well.

Further studies are needed at this time.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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