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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate versus First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids .

Last updated on February 12, 2024. Published on October 03, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Facial Treatment American Brand United States
Exfoliator American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Exfoliator

Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.

Price

Shop

Buy Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate

Starts at $38.40
Shop

Buy Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids

Starts at $20.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Exfoliators
Ceramides
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation (4)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (5)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA (2)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture (3)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Irritating (3)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate contains this as ingredient number 1.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.

Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.

The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.

Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Polysorbate 20

First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate contains this as ingredient number 4.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids contains this as ingredient number 10.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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

First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate contains this as ingredient number 7.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.

Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.

It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.

Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate contains this as ingredient number 23.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids contains this as ingredient number 2.

5
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate contains this as ingredient number 33.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids contains this as ingredient number 19.

6
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium 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 Hydroxide

First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate contains this as ingredient number 34.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads With Glycolic + Lactic Acids contains this as ingredient number 9.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

40% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
46% are disliked or very disliked
3% have no rating yet
55% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
30% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 7 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum .25% Pure Concentrate.

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