I am currently in New York City, and after having the best Reuben sandwich of my life, I stopped by Sephora in Times Square to get a look at all of their products. That’s when I found Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20 ($48, Sephora.com). Available exclusively at Sephora, the moisturizer makes an excellent choice for the daytime.
A combination of antioxidant vitamins C and E
Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20 contains a fairly high concentration of antioxidant vitamin E as tocopheryl acetate, which is a beneficial antioxidant. Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20 also contains vitamin C, which is a network antioxidant with vitamin E, as one enhances the antioxidant capacity of the other. Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20 contains vitamin C as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, a stable form of vitamin C. Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate has been reported in the journal Photochcmistry and Photobiology to be converted to L-ascorbic acid in the skin and to exhibit the photoprotective, antioxidant effects of vitamin C. However, because magnesium ascorbyl phosphate must be converted to L-ascorbic acid in the skin to be effective, the concentration of magnesium ascorbyl phosphate necessary to equal a given concentration of L-ascorbic acid is unclear. At any rate, the combination of vitamin C and vitamin E have been found to synergistically enhance the power of one another, and have been reported by Djerassi et. al. to prevent the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines (although in different forms of C and E). Vitamin C and vitamin E have also been shown in this 1996 study, amongst others, to enhance the photoprotective effects of sunscreen.
Peptides
Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20 contains not one, but two peptides, the more popular (and studied) peptide, palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 as well as palmitoyl oligopeptide. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 is the amino acid sequence lysine-threonine-threonine-lysine-serine, which has been demonstrated to stimulate feedback regulation of new collagen synthesis and to result in an increased production of extracellular matrix proteins (types I and II collagen and fibronectin). For these reasons, palmitoyl pentapeptide is increasingly popular in skin care products, and is in slightly higher concentration than palmitoyl oligopeptide in Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20.
Palmitoyl oligopeptide is a sequence of peptides that reads valine-glycine-valine-alanine-proline-glycine combined with a palmitic acid in order to increase penetration through the epidermis. A 2007 study in Dermatologic Therapy suggests that palmitoyl oligopeptide significantly stimulates human skin collagen production in fibroblasts, which may slow the degradation of collagen over time. On the other hand, palmitoyl oligopeptide has been found to down-regulate elastin expression. From one point of view, this is not a bad thing – as stated in Cosmetic Dermatology, elastin expression naturally increases with age, but the elastin cross-fibers grow in a less organized pattern than in individuals at a younger age, so down-regulating unorganized elastin expression may be a good thing. On the other hand, products that stimulate elastin production (like Relastin Eye Silk) have been found to increase the firmness of the skin, so down-regulating elastin expression may not be a good thing, either.
Glucosamine
Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20 contains glucosamine HCl, which has been reported in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology to stimulate hyaluronic acid synthesis, and thereby accelerate wound healing, improve skin hydration, and decrease wrinkles. In addition, as an inhibitor of tyrosinase activation, glucosamine has been shown to inhibit melanin production and is useful in treatment of disorders of hyperpigmentation.
Better than Cosmedicine Global Health SPF 30
Although Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20 contains peptides and glucosamine and a high concentration of vitamin E, Cosmedicine Global Health Face UVA/UVB SPF 30 does not, instead containing pomegranate extract and providing an SPF of 30 instead of SPF 20. However, despite the benefits of pomegranate, an SPF of 20 or 30 is not really much of a deciding factor; according to Dr. Rachel Herschenfeld, SPF 20 allows 1/20 UVB rays, or 5.0% through, while SPF 30 allows 1/30 UVB rays, or 3.3% through. Therefore, due to the inclusion of peptides, glucosamine and a higher concentration of vitamin E, I prefer the Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20. (In addition, Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20 contains more sodium hyaluronate, while Cosmedicine Global Health Face UVA/UVB SPF 30 contains heavier silicones to hydrate, so that is another reason I prefer Cosmedicine Primary Care Moisturizer SPF 20.
Overall…
A great moisturizer, one of the best I’ve seen thus far in terms of ingredients with lots of research substantiating them. Incredible! Only a 0.5-point deduction for not having a better sunscreen. 9.5/10
Ingredients in Cosmedicine Primary Care Multi-Tasking Moisturizer SPF 20
Water/Eau, Polysilicone-15, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosslinked, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate,Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Dromiceius Oil, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate,Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Xanthan Gum,Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Squalane, Polysorbate 60, Glucosamine HCl, Carbomer, Allantoin, Fragrance/Parfum, Sodium Dehydroacetate,Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Methylparaben, Isopropylparaben,Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben.
Ingredients in Cosmedicine Global Health Face UVA/UVB SPF 30
Sunscreen: Avobenzone, Octinoxate. Also: Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-15, Tribehenin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Tricontanyl PVP, Dimethiconol, C12-14 Pareth-12,Butylene Glycol, Water/Eau, Punica Granatum Extract, Panthenyl Ethyl EtherMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Isopropylparaben,Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben.