MediCube Age-R Vita K Cream Versus MediCube AGE-R Collagen Booster Gel Serum

MediCube Age-R Vita K Cream Versus MediCube AGE-R Collagen Booster Gel Serum

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Centella Asiatica Extract to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Methylpropanediol

Niacinamide

Betaine

Isopropyl Palmitate

Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Arnica Montana Flower Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Garcinia Cambogia Fruit Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Vinyldimethicone

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Caprylyl Methicone

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tromethamine

Dimethiconol

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Sorbitan Isostearate

Adenosine

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Disodium EDTA

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Menadione

Caffeine

Panthenol

Salicylic Acid

Escin

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Ceramide NP

1,2-Hexanediol

Aroma

Hydroxyacetophenone

Ethylhexylglycerin

Linalool

Benzyl Salicylate

Limonene

Hydroxycitronellal

Geraniol

Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, Betaine, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Hydrogenated Polydecene, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Garcinia Cambogia Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Vinyldimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Methicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Dimethiconol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate, Adenosine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Menadione, Caffeine, Panthenol, Salicylic Acid, Escin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ceramide NP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aroma, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Geraniol

Glycereth-26

Polyglycerin-3

Methyl Gluceth-20

Methyl Gluceth-10

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Allantoin

C12-14 Pareth-12

Soluble Elastin

Parfum

Sodium Hyaluronate

Eclipta Prostrata Extract

Butylene Glycol

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Soluble Collagen

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Phosphatidylcholine

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium DNA

Atelocollagen

Desamido Collagen

Prunella Vulgaris Extract

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Collagen

Collagen Amino Acids

Glycine

Serine

Procollagen

Glutamic Acid

Lysine

Alanine

Threonine

Proline

Arginine

Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglycerin-3, Methyl Gluceth-20, Methyl Gluceth-10, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Allantoin, C12-14 Pareth-12, Soluble Elastin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Butylene Glycol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Soluble Collagen, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Phosphatidylcholine, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium DNA, Atelocollagen, Desamido Collagen, Ceramide NP, Prunella Vulgaris Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Collagen, Collagen Amino Acids, Glycine, Serine, Procollagen, Glutamic Acid, Lysine, Alanine, Threonine, Proline, Arginine

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

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%.

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.

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.

Methylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.

As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.

Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Tromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.

It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.

This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.

Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.

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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