Serum
Serum
Korean South Korea
American United States

What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Glycereth-26

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Methylpropanediol

Solvent

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Octyldodecanol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Trehalose

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Emulsifying
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Glucose

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Emulsion Stabilising

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Palmitic Acid

Emollient
2 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Allantoin

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Bakuchiol

Antimicrobial
Bakuchiol IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Fructooligosaccharides

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Fructose

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Solvent

Stearic Acid

Cleansing
2-3 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tromethamine

Buffering

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Diphenyl Dimethicone

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Humectant

Triethylhexanoin

Masking

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Humectant
Helps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Inulin Lauryl Carbamate

Emulsion Stabilising

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Sodium Phytate

Glyceryl Glucoside

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Beta-Glucan

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hydrolyzed Extensin

Skin Conditioning

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Humectant
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Skin Conditioning
Vitamin C IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconPeptide IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Humectant
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3

Skin Protecting
Peptide Icon

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5

Humectant
Peptide Icon

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Carnosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Copper Tripeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Nonapeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Masking, Skin Conditioning

This ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dimethyl Isosorbide is a low-irritation solvent that helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from glucose.

Research shows how well this ingredient works depends on the active and formulation rather than the concentration alone. This means adding more Dimethyl Isosorbide does not guarantee better penetration of ingredients into the skin.

Skin Conditioning

This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.

Retinoids have been proven to:

So what is the difference between all the retinoids?
Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.

HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.

A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.

A note about naming:
The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.

Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.

Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is also known as pal-GHK. It is made up of 3 amino acids and palmitic acid, a fatty acid that helps it absorb into skin more easily.

This peptide is as a signal peptide, meaning it tells the skin to produce more collagen. Collagen is the key protein that helps form the skin's structure and keep it plump, firm, and hydrated.

By boosting collagen production, this ingredient supports a stronger skin barrier and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

You'll most likely see this ingredient paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 in the well-known Matrixyl 3000 complex. While results from in-house testing should be viewed cautiously, this peptide duo is among the most studied and widely used in modern skincare.

Due to its palmitic acid base, this ingredient may not be safe for Malassezia folliculitis.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

Learn more about Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

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