First Aid Beauty Brighten + Glow Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids Versus Good Molecules Mandelic Acid Serum
This smoothing exfoliating pad uses a pre-saturated pad with Lactic Acid and Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
This smoothing serum is formulated around Mandelic Acid and Phytic 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 ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantCitrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientCitrus Nobilis Fruit Extract
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPropanediol
Solvent
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhytic Acid
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether
CleansingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSuccinoglycan
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Water, Mandelic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Propanediol, Potassium Hydroxide, Phytic Acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Succinoglycan, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
Learn more about GlycerinWater. 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
