Neocutis Bio Serum Firm Versus Neocutis Bio Cream Firm

Neocutis Bio Serum Firm Versus Neocutis Bio Cream Firm

This serum is formulated around Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate to reduce redness and brighten.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Squalane

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Cutaneous Lysate

Tetrapeptide-21

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Acetate

Butylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Pullulan

Acetyl Glucosamine

Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Polysorbate 60

Proline

Arginine

Glycine

Glutamine

Chlorphenesin

Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract

Capryloyl Carnosine

Poloxamer 338

Silica

Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2

Dextran

Sorbitan Isostearate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Tocopherol

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Cutaneous Lysate, Tetrapeptide-21, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pullulan, Acetyl Glucosamine, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Proline, Arginine, Glycine, Glutamine, Chlorphenesin, Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract, Capryloyl Carnosine, Poloxamer 338, Silica, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Dextran, Sorbitan Isostearate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol

Octyldodecanol

Glyceryl Stearate

Decyl Oleate

Propylene Glycol

Stearic Acid

Niacinamide

Ceteareth-20

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Cetyl Alcohol

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Dimethicone

Citric Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Ceteareth-12

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Palmitate

Ceramide Ng

Myreth-3 Myristate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Carbomer

Hexylene Glycol

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Xanthan Gum

Ceramide EOP

BHT

Water, Octyldodecanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Decyl Oleate, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Niacinamide, Ceteareth-20, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cutaneous Lysate, Tetrapeptide-21, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Acetate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Capryloyl Carnosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Ceramide Ng, Myreth-3 Myristate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

We don't have a description for Capryloyl Carnosine yet.

We don't have a description for Cutaneous Lysate yet.

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.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Acetate is a peptide.

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.

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

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

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

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Tetrapeptide-21 is a signal peptide. It helps boost collagen, hyaluronic acid, and fibronectin.

Fibronectin is a protein found in our skin's extracellular matrix that plays a role in cell adhesion, tissue repair, and wound healing.

Tetrapeptide-21 works by mimicking skin-protein breakdown signals, telling the skin to produce new structural proteins like collagen.

Preliminary studies show it works better than matrixyl and produced twice the amount of collagen in lab tests.

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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