Educational guide
Smoochkins Azure Hya-Peptide Matrix Essence Toner Versus Skintific 4D Hyaluronic Acid Barrier Essence Toner
Smoochkins Azure Hya-Peptide Matrix Essence Toner Versus Skintific 4D Hyaluronic Acid Barrier Essence Toner This hydrating toner is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Copper Tripeptide-1 to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles. This hydrating ton
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Smoochkins Azure Hya-Peptide Matrix Essence Toner Versus Skintific 4D Hyaluronic Acid Barrier Essence Toner
This hydrating toner is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Copper Tripeptide-1 to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
This hydrating toner is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Sodium Citrate
Propanediol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Potassium Hyaluronate
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Ascorbylpropyl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Caprylyl Glycol
Copper Tripeptide-1
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Nonapeptide-1
Carnosine
Allantoin
Malachite Extract
Citric Acid
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Pentylene Glycol
Butylene Glycol
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Citrate, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ascorbylpropyl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Nonapeptide-1, Carnosine, Allantoin, Malachite Extract, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate
1,2-Butanediol
PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
Betaine
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
Glyceryl Glucoside
Creatine
Panthenol
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Propylene Glycol
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Ceramide EOP
Ceramide Ns
Ceramide Ng
Ceramide NP
Ceramide As
Ceramide AP
Maris Aqua
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Tocopherol
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
1,2-Hexanediol
Sodium PCA
Glycine
Cholesterol
Water, 1,2-Butanediol, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Creatine, Panthenol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Carnosine, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Maris Aqua, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium PCA, Glycine, Cholesterol
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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.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Carnosine is a dipeptide made from two amino acids.
This ingredient helps:
Glycation is the process of sugars binding to and damaging proteins. Too much sugar in our skin can lead to damaged collagen, contributing to factors of aging.
Carnosine is water-soluble and is not able to travel deeper layers of skin. This leads to some doubt about whether it can boost collagen in skin, since collagen is located in the deeper layers of skin.
Fun fact: Carnosine can be naturally found in our muscles and brain.
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.
This ingredient is created by putting sodium hyaluronate through hydrolysis.
You might know this as 'mini' or 'ultra low-molecular weight' hyaluronic acid. The small molecule size means it is able to travel deeper in the skin.
According to studies, low molecular-weight hyaluronic acid can:
One study from 2011 found ultra-low weight HA to show pro-inflammatory properties. Another study from 2022 found it to downregulate UV-B induced inflammation.
Hydrolysis is a process of changing a molecule using water or enzymes.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
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.
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
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!