Medik8 Copper PCA Peptides Mineral Antioxidant Peptide Serum Versus Niod Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 (CAIS3)
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Tripeptide-29 and Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Polyacrylamide
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Copper PCA
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPolysilicone-11
Triethanolamine
BufferingAminobutyric Acid
CI 77120
Cosmetic ColorantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Tromethamine
BufferingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Cyclohexasiloxane, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cetearyl Alcohol, Copper PCA, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Laureth-7, Polysilicone-11, Triethanolamine, Aminobutyric Acid, CI 77120, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Superoxide Dismutase, Tromethamine, Sodium Metabisulfite
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Tripeptide-29
Skin Conditioning
Bis(Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Glycogen
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dextran
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventEthoxydiglycol
HumectantIsoceteth-20
EmulsifyingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Tripeptide-29, Bis(Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate, Tripeptide-1, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glycogen, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Dextran, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Isoceteth-20, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
