Versus

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner Versus Tula Skincare Balancing Act Purifying Toner & pH Balancing Toner Pads

Toner
Toner
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on July 18, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free toners. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Balancing Act Purifying Toner & pH Balancing Toner Pads

Water

Skin Conditioning

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Astringent
Can worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Propanediol

Solvent

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium PCA

Humectant
0 / 0

Lactobacillus Ferment

Skin Conditioning

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Lactococcus Ferment Lysate

Skin Conditioning

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Beta Vulgaris Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract

Astringent

Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract

Masking

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Carum Carvi Seed Oil

Masking
Fragrance IconOil Icon

Citrus Aurantifolia Oil

Cleansing
Fragrance IconOil Icon

Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice

Skin Conditioning

Inulin

Skin Conditioning

Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Skin Conditioning

Pelargonium Graveolens Extract

Masking

Lactic Acid

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

Rosa Damascena Extract

Masking

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Mentha Piperita Oil

Masking
Fragrance IconOil IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide

Cleansing

Phytic Acid

AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Emollient

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Tonic

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Mentha Viridis Extract

Masking

Peumus Boldus Leaf Extract

Masking

Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract

Skin Protecting

Lactobacillus

Skin Conditioning

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract

Astringent

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower

Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Citric Acid

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

Maltodextrin

Absorbent

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Gluconic Acid

Yeast Extract

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Lauryl Glucoside

Cleansing

Sodium Chloride

Masking
Can worsen Dry Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Sodium Citrate

Buffering

Menthyl Lactate

Masking

Decyl Glucoside

Cleansing

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Benzoic Acid

Masking
Preservative IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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
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
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.

Buffering

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
Preservative

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Learn more about Potassium Sorbate
Masking, Preservative

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

Learn more about Sodium Benzoate
Buffering, Masking

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and even out skin tone.

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum
Masking, Preservative

Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.

The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.

In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.

The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.

Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.

Learn more about Benzoic Acid

When to use

195 Routines
47% use in am
53% use in pm
92% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
2 Routines
0% use in am
100% use in pm
100% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner 28 ingredients

4.7 /5
from 3 ratings
Absorbs Well (2) Hydrating (2) Works Well (2)
anemone's avatar

anemone

1 year ago
Review

good ‘milky toner’
this toner has that ‘milky’ look and feel similar to a lot of Korean toners like the Tonymoly Ceramide one (and probably the I’m From rice toner, which i haven’t tried). this is not the most hydrating toner ever, but it does what a simple toner should do, which is to prep the skin. it’s also priced well compared to most other toners at sephora and ulta.

leopearson's avatar

Tyler Pearson

4 months ago
Review

the best toner i've ever used! very light & absorbs quickly, i love it

#hydrating
#light
#absorbs well
#works well

Tula Skincare Balancing Act Purifying Toner & pH Balancing Toner Pads 59 ingredients

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