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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum versus IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum .

Last updated on March 22, 2024. Published on September 06, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both serums. They have a total of 18 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid, peptides and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores, scar healing and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens and fragrances

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum German Brand Germany
Serum American Brand United States

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides (3)

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening (3)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C (4)
Vitamin E (2)
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides (3)

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Redness Reducing (9)
Reduces Irritation (5)
Skin Texture (4)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (6)
Dark Spots (5)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (7)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (3)
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Water • Glycerin • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Limonene • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate • Cetearyl Olivate • Sorbitan Olivate • Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract • Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Ppg-12/Smdi Copolymer • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate • Glyceryl Stearate • Peg-100 Stearate • Cetyl Alcohol • Dimethicone • Di-Ppg-2 Myreth-10 Adipate • Stearic Acid • Phenoxyethanol • Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate • Panthenol • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil • Xanthan Gum • Caprylyl Glycol • Butylene Glycol • Tocopheryl Acetate • Glycine Soja Sterols • Linoleic Acid • Phospholipids • Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil • Squalene • Propylene Glycol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Glucosamine Hcl • Hexylene Glycol • Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate • Peg-8 • Pisum Sativum Extract • Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract • Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate • Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract • Tocopherol • Magnesium Aluminum Silicate • Olea Europaea Leaf Extract • Disodium EDTA • Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil • Yeast Polysaccharides • Sodium Hyaluronate • Glyceryl Polymethacrylate • Carbomer • Eugenol • Ascorbyl Palmitate • Citric Acid • Benzoic Acid • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Ascorbic Acid • Sodium Lactate • Polysorbate 20 • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract • Taurine • Corallina Officinalis Extract • Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract • Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract • Centella Asiatica Extract • Potassium Sorbate • BHT • Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 • Darutoside • Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 • Arginine • Leucine • Lysine • Sodium Benzoate • Valine • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

2
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.

Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.

It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.

Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.

This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.

Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.

5
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 51.

6
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.

8
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.

9
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

10
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 56.

11
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.

12
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Arginine is an amino acid that is important for human development. Your body uses is it to produce hair keratin and skin collagen.

As a cosmetic ingredient, Arginine has antioxidant properties and can also help repair damaged skin. This ingredient is derived either synthetically or from animals.

Arginine isn't fungal acne safe when used in the presence of other lipids (fats, fatty acids, oils, esters, etc). Oils and fats occur naturally within the skin, so take caution when using Arginine if you're prone to fungal acne.

Learn more about Arginine

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 74.

13
What it does: Buffering, Humectant
Community Rating: Liked

Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and used to adjust the pH of a product.

Sodium Lactate is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin.

It also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.

Our NMF is formed from amino acids, lactic acid, sugars, minerals, peptides, and electrolytes. As we age, our NMF naturally depletes. Other sources of NMF depletion include harsh and drying ingredients such as denatured alcohol. Sodium lactate can help replenish our NMF, leading to more hydrated and plump skin.

High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.

Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.

Learn more about Sodium Lactate

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 60.

14
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.

15
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 53.

16
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

Potassium sorbate is potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

Potassium sorbate is often used with stronger preservatives.

Learn more about Potassium Sorbate

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 32.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 69.

17
What it does: Masking, Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

Sodium Benzoate is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

Learn more about Sodium Benzoate

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 36.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 77.

18
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a 3-amino acid peptide. Peptides are building blocks for protein.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a signal peptide. This means it tells our skin to create collagen. Collagen is a protein that makes connective tissue. Boosting collagen production leads to a healthier skin barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier means having firm and hydrated skin.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 can help reduce wrinkles and make the skin look more youthful.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

Learn more about Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

QMS Medicosmetics Day Collagen Serum contains this as ingredient number 39.

IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum contains this as ingredient number 79.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

41% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
39% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet
35% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
38% are disliked or very disliked
14% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

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