PSA SKIN Visible Improvement Peptides & Niacinamide Serum Versus Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

PSA SKIN Visible Improvement Peptides & Niacinamide Serum Versus Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Glucosamine to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This mild cream cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide

Glycerin

Propanediol

Ethyl Macadamiate

Isodecyl Neopentanoate

Butylene Glycol

Polysorbate 20

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Acetyl Glucosamine

Beta-Glucan

Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment

Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract

Bisabolol

Panthenol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Allantoin

Ergothioneine

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Oxidized Glutathione

Ubiquinone

Tocopherol

Dimethyl Sulfone

Sea Water

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Malic Acid

Sclerotium Gum

Xanthan Gum

Carbomer

Sodium Gluconate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Saccharide Isomerate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Potassium Sorbate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Propanediol, Ethyl Macadamiate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Beta-Glucan, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Ergothioneine, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Oxidized Glutathione, Ubiquinone, Tocopherol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Sea Water, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Malic Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Pantolactone

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Sodium Benzoate

Citric Acid

Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Pantolactone, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid

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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.

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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