Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream Versus Afrodita 5 Peptide Lift Nourishing Ultra-Lifting Cream

Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream Versus Afrodita 5 Peptide Lift Nourishing Ultra-Lifting Cream

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Panthenol to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Glycerin

Cyclohexasiloxane

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polyglycerin-3

Panthenol

Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

C14-22 Alcohols

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside

Butylene Glycol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Ethylhexylglycerin

Polyquaternium-51

Tromethamine

Sodium Hyaluronate

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract

Beta-Glucan

Resveratrol

Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract

Tocopherol

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Ceramide NP

Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglycerin-3, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, C14-22 Alcohols, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-51, Tromethamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Beta-Glucan, Resveratrol, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ceramide NP

Glyceryl Stearate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Pentylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate

Persea Gratissima Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Myristyl Myristate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Cetyl Alcohol

Pisum Sativum Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Carnosine

Ethyl Ferulate

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Humulus Lupulus Extract

Brassica Campestris Seed Oil

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Coco-Glucoside

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Carbomer

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Parfum

Sodium Lactate

Sodium Citrate

Coumarin

Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Myristyl Myristate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Pisum Sativum Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Carnosine, Ethyl Ferulate, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Butylene Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Carbomer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Parfum, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Coumarin

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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.

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.

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.

This ingredient is a synthetic ingredient with emollient and skin conditioner used to make skincare products feel more lightweight on the skin. It helps improve slip and spreadability without feeling greasy.

Because it is high molecular weight and lipophilic (oil loving), it remains on the surface of skin.

Hydrogenated Polydecene is a synthetic emollient. It forms a non-occlusive film on the skin's surface to provide a silky feel without being greasy.

In vivo studies in volunteers with atopic and dry skin showed no irritation or intolerance. The volunteers also saw a positive effect in dryness, scaling, and roughness after 28 days of use.

Concentrations up to 100% in guinea pig tests found it to be non-sensitizing and completely safe for use in cosmetics.

Phenoxyethanol 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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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