Dr. Schatz Blue Copper Peptide Beauty Skin Emulsion Versus Melano CC Vitamin C Brightening Lotion Milk
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-26
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Propylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Niacinamide, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Glycereth-26, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Copper Tripeptide-1
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Alpinia Zerumbet Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Tricaprylin
Perfuming
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Beheneth-5
EmulsifyingParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Ascorbyl Glucoside, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ascorbic Acid, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Alpinia Zerumbet Seed Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Isopentyldiol, Tricaprylin, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Beheneth-5, Paraffinum Liquidum, Dimethicone, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Citric Acid, Water, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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.
Learn more about GlycerinParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumPolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Water. 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!
Learn more about Water
