This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Lactic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningQuartz
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOrmenis Multicaulis Oil
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Pullulan
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingSodium Isethionate
CleansingSilica
Abrasive
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Quartz, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Glycerin, C12-16 Alcohols, Lactic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Ormenis Multicaulis Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Pullulan, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Isethionate, Silica, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Perlite
Absorbent
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Prunus Armeniaca Seed Powder
Abrasive
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingParfum
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Castanea Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Perlite, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Prunus Armeniaca Seed Powder, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-60 Myristyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Citric Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Menthol, Caffeine, Limonene, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopherol, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Juice, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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.
Learn more about GlycerinLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimonenePhenoxyethanol 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.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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!
Learn more about Water
