Azure Hyaluronic and Retinol Facial Serum Versus Pixi Beauty Collagen & Retinol Serum

Azure Hyaluronic and Retinol Facial Serum Versus Pixi Beauty Collagen & Retinol Serum Detailed comparison of Azure Hyaluronic and Retinol Facial Serum versus Pixi Beauty Collagen & Retinol Serum. This hydrating serum is formulated around Retinol and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinol and Acetyl Heptapeptide-4 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. Water Propylene Glycol Hydroxyethyl Urea Glycerin Betaine Glyceryl Polymethacrylate Beta-Glucan Collagen Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract Retinol Panthenol Sodium Hyaluronate Ethylhexylglycerin Xanthan Gum Phenoxyethanol Water, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glycerin, Betaine, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Beta-Glucan, Collagen, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Retinol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol Acacia Seyal Gum Extract Methyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer Acetyl Heptapeptide-4 Niacinamide Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract Ascorbic Acid Tocopheryl Acetate Citric Acid Carbomer Potassium Sorbate Hydroxyethylcellulose Caprylyl Glycol Disodium EDTA Propyl Gallate BHT Water, Glycerin, Acacia Seyal Gum Extract, Retinol, Methyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Niacinamide, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Propyl Gallate, BHT Be the first to review These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. 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. Retinol is one of the most studied anti-aging ingredients in skincare (and for good reason!). It's a form of vitamin A that your skin converts into Retinoic Acid, the active molecule that actually does the work in your cells. That conversion happens in two steps: your skin first turns Retinol into Retinaldehyde (also called Retinal), then turns Retinaldehyde into Retinoic Acid. Retinol is converted to biologically active retinoic acid via retinaldehyde by dehydrogenases in a two-step oxidation process. Each step is a little "upgrade" toward the active form which is part of why Retinol is gentler than prescription Retinoic Acid; your skin does the work gradually. This also explains where Retinol sits in the retinoid family. Here is the retinoid family ranked roughly by strength: Retinyl Esters (like Retinyl Palmitate) < Retinol < Retinaldehyde < Retinoic Acid. Retinoid activity increases in that order, while tolerance runs in reverse; retinyl esters are the gentlest and retinoic acid the most irritating. The more conversion steps an ingredient needs, the gentler (and slower) it tends to be, so Retinol lands in a nice middle spot. It's more effective than the esters, gentler than prescription options. Once it becomes Retinoic Acid, it binds to receptors inside your cells' nuclei (called RARs and RXRs). These receptor pairs bind to specific DNA motifs called retinoic acid response elements and act like switches that turn certain genes on or off. In practice, this means a few things happen in a formula. It: That last two are worth a closer look. A study that tested Retinol directly (not just prescription Retinoic Acid) found that four weeks of retinol thickened the epidermis and switched on the genes for Collagen I and Collagen III, with more procollagen I and III showing up in the skin. And after twelve weeks, facial wrinkles were visibly reduced. Retinoids more broadly stimulate the skin's synthesis of hyaluron