Versus
Exfoliator
Exfoliator
American United States
American United States

What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Behenyl Alcohol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Sorbitol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Emollient

Cetyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 2 Fatty Alcohol IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Acacia Decurrens Extract

Astringent

Ricinus Communis Seed Oil

Masking
0-1 / 0 Oil IconFragrance IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Emollient

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Averrhoa Carambola Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Nephelium Lappaceum Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Spirulina Maxima Extract

Smoothing

Tremella Fuciformis Extract

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Viola Odorata Leaf Extract

Masking

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Tonic

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning
Good for Dark Spots Icon

Bacillus Ferment

Skin Conditioning
Good for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Triethyl Citrate

Masking
Fragrance Icon

PEG-75 Stearate

Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Phytosteryl Oleate

Skin Conditioning

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ceteth-20

Cleansing

Steareth-20

Cleansing
2 / 1

C12-13 Pareth-3

Emulsifying

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Titanium Dioxide

Cosmetic Colorant
0 / 0 UV Protection IconMineral UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Lactic Acid

Buffering
AHA IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Phenylpropanol

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Calcium Alginate

Masking

Jojoba Esters

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Aminomethyl Propanol

Buffering

Polyquaternium-10

Citric Acid

Buffering
AHA IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Humectant
Helps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Gluconic Acid

Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Phytosterols

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Xylitol

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

3-Hexenol

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Sodium Acetate

Buffering

Sodium Chloride

Masking
Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Isopropyl Alcohol

Solvent
0 / 0 Alcohol IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin
Buffering, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Lactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.

Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.

Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.

Like glycolic acid, it can:

Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.

Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.

To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.

Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.

Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.

When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the product’s pH.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Lactic Acid
Solvent

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.

Learn more about Propanediol
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Similar Comparisons