Barulab 530 S-Peptide Ampoule Versus I'm from Ginseng Serum

Barulab 530 S-Peptide Ampoule Versus I'm from Ginseng Serum

This calming ampoule is formulated around Propolis Extract and Niacinamide to calm redness and soften the look of wrinkles.

This calming serum is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Extract and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to calm redness and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Propolis Extract 85.3%

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Niacinamide

1,2-Hexanediol

Water

Betaine

Sodium Carbomer

Ethylhexylglycerin

Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract

Borago Officinalis Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Allantoin

Panthenol

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Hyacinthus Orientalis Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract

Salvia Sclarea Extract

Adenosine

Disodium EDTA

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Polyacrylate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Tocopherol

Honey Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Beta-Glucan

Centella Asiatica Extract

Lecithin

Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Polysorbate 20

Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide

Copper Ascorbyl Phosphate Succinoyl Tripeptide-34

Oligopeptide-1

Oligopeptide-3

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Oligopeptide-6

Parfum

Propolis Extract 85.3%, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Betaine, Sodium Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hyacinthus Orientalis Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tocopherol, Honey Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Beta-Glucan, Centella Asiatica Extract, Lecithin, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 20, Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide, Copper Ascorbyl Phosphate Succinoyl Tripeptide-34, Oligopeptide-1, Oligopeptide-3, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Oligopeptide-6, Parfum

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Panax Ginseng Seed Oil

Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract

Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract

Angelica Gigas Root Extract

Rheum Palmatum Root Extract

Angelica Pubescens Root Extract

Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract

Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract

Cyclopentasiloxane

Dimethiconol

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Ethoxydiglycol

Tromethamine

PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Hyaluronic Acid

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Water, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Angelica Pubescens Root Extract, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Ethoxydiglycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hyaluronic Acid, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.

As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.

It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.

A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

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

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

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.

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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