Exa Beauty High Fidelity Balancing Color Corrector Versus Kosas Revealer Extra Bright Serum-Powered Color Correctors
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientKaolin
Abrasive
Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingPolyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Brassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Triheptanoin, Glycerin, Coconut Alkanes, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Kaolin, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Jojoba Esters, Lauroyl Lysine, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Undecane
EmollientPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Galactoarabinan
Propanediol
Solvent
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Tridecane
Perfuming
Lecithin
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Dipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Glycerin, Undecane, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Mica, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Silica, Galactoarabinan, Propanediol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Tridecane, Lecithin, Caffeine, Panthenol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Dipeptide-2, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Glyceryl Oleate, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Sodium Gluconate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Phenethyl Alcohol, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77742
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate is a plant-derived, oil-soluble emulsifier. It keeps water-in-oil emulsions stable to prevent the ingredients from separating.
On the safety front, it's considered non-irritating and well-tolerated (it can even be found in formulations for baby skin).
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because research has shown that the Malassezia species can grow in the presence of fatty acid esters with chain lengths above C12 (and this one is C18).
While it does have a comedogenic rating of 4, the comedogenic rating scale was developed from rabbit ear models which has limited clinical relevance to human skin. Studies also show that comedogenic ingredients cannot predict how the overall formula will behave on human skin.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-3 DiisostearatePolyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic AcidPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
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 PropanediolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
