Educational guide
Neulii Cicapepta Repair Serum Versus Biologique Recherche ISO-Placenta Regenerating Serum for Face
Neulii Cicapepta Repair Serum Versus Biologique Recherche ISO-Placenta Regenerating Serum for Face This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Panthenol and Hexapeptide-11 to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefi
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Neulii Cicapepta Repair Serum Versus Biologique Recherche ISO-Placenta Regenerating Serum for Face
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Panthenol and Hexapeptide-11 to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Propanediol
Glycereth-26
1,2-Hexanediol
Panthenol
Butylene Glycol
Tromethamine
Carbomer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Betaine
Xanthan Gum
Disodium EDTA
Lecithin
Acetyl Glutamine
Aspalathus Linearis Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Caprylyl Glycol
Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Oligopeptide-1
Folic Acid
Hexapeptide-11
Oligopeptide-2
Oligopeptide-3
Centella Asiatica Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
Madecassoside
Asiaticoside
Madecassic Acid
Asiatic Acid
Water, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Lecithin, Acetyl Glutamine, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Oligopeptide-1, Folic Acid, Hexapeptide-11, Oligopeptide-2, Oligopeptide-3, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid
Methylpropanediol
Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract
Cryptomeria Japonica Bud Extract
Citric Acid
Triethanolamine
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Propanediol, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cryptomeria Japonica Bud Extract, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Hexapeptide-11, Oligopeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Oligopeptide-3, Acetyl Glutamine, Folic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Triethanolamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate
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
We don't have a description for Acetyl Glutamine yet.
This ingredient is created by fermenting soybean extract with the bacteria, bacillus. It has antioxidant and skin conditioning properties.
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).
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Folic acid is a form of Vitamin B9. Our bodies use folic acid for creating new cells and for DNA repair.
Folic acid is an antioxidant, making it an effective skin repair ingredient.
In vivo studies show folic acid to decrease UV-C induced DNA damage on human fibroblasts. This is because folic acid is effective at rejoining breaks in the fibroblast DNA. It is believed folic acid may play a role in reducing UV-B damage as well. While the mechanisms are unknown, it is believed folic acid plays a role in disrupting the DNA damage process.
Studies show using moisturizers rich in folic acid led to increased hydration of the skin. Hydrated skin is essential for collagen and elastin, or for keeping skin plump. One study found a reduction in wrinkles from using folic acid creams.
Foods rich in folic acid include leafy vegetables, beans, peanuts, fresh fruit, and eggs.
This synthetic peptide is known as a signal peptide. Signal peptides tell your skin to create more collagen, elastin and protein.
Hexapeptide-11 is composed of several amino acids, including alanine.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Oligopeptide-1 is another name for Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF). In a formula, EGF works as a signaling ingredient.
EGF binds to receptors on your skin cells and tells keratinocytes/fibroblasts to divide, move, and rebuild the skin's support structure.
A 2012 open-label study on a barley-derived EGF serum reported statistically significant improvements in fine-lines, skin texture, pore size, and uneven skin tone, with changes showing up within the first month of 2x/daily use.
And a 2023 review found generally positive but modest results for growth factor products while pointing out that most trials are small, often industry-funded, and rarely test EGF on its own.
So, a fair summary of this ingredient would be "promising with real mechanistic backing, but not yet large-scale proof".
Concentration-wise, EGF is biologically active at very tiny amounts so finished products use it at low levels (think parts per million).
Raw material supplies usually sell a pre-diluted EGF solution and recommend adding roughly 1-5% of that solution to a formula.
Another practical catch: EGF is a fragile protein so it reacts badly to heat and the wrong pH. This just means it relies heavily on good packaging and a solid delivery system to stay active in a bottle.
Oligopeptide-1 and Sh-Oligopeptide-1. The "sh-" prefix just means "synthetic human" and it tells you that it's the lab grown version.
Oligopeptide-2 is a synthetic peptide consisting of consisting of lysine, threonine, and serine.
Peptides have skin conditioning properties.
Oligopeptide-3 is a peptide.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
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!