MediCube Triple Collagen Glass Glow Versus MEDI-PEEL Aesthe Derma Red Marine Collagen Toner

MediCube Triple Collagen Glass Glow Versus MEDI-PEEL Aesthe Derma Red Marine Collagen Toner

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

This anti-aging toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Dipropylene Glycol

Propanediol

Trehalose

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Soluble Collagen

Atelocollagen

Collagen Extract

Disodium Phosphate

Polysorbate 60

Sodium Phosphate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate

Disodium EDTA

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Trehalose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Soluble Collagen, Atelocollagen, Collagen Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Disodium EDTA, Parfum

Lactobacillus Ferment

Xylitylglucoside

Anhydroxylitol

Xylitol

Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract

Rosa Damascena Flower Water

Iris Florentina Root Extract

Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract

Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract

Copper Tripeptide-1

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Dipeptide-2

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Cimicifuga Dahurica Root Extract

Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract

Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract

Phellinus Linteus Extract

Angelica Gigas Root Extract

Morus Alba Bark Extract

Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract

Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract

Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Castanea Crenata Shell Extract

Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract

Lysine

Histidine

Arginine

Aspartic Acid

Threonine

Serine

Glutamic Acid

Proline

Glycine

Alanine

Valine

Methionine

Isoleucine

Leucine

Tyrosine

Phenylalanine

Cysteine

Panthenol

Ceramide NP

Hydrolyzed Elastin

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Betaine

Caramel

Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Caprylyl Glycol

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Tromethamine

Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Butylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Dipeptide-2, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Cimicifuga Dahurica Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Lysine, Histidine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Proline, Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Methionine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Cysteine, Adenosine, Panthenol, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Caramel, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tromethamine

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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.

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.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

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.

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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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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