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:

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Coconut Derived IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Fructose

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Emulsifying
Coconut Derived IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Stearalkonium Hectorite

Gel Forming

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Skin Conditioning
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Emollient
1 / 0

Euphorbia Cerifera Cera

Astringent
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Jojoba Esters

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Propylene Carbonate

Solvent

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Algae Extract

Emollient

Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil

Emollient
1-3 / 0 Oil IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Medicago Sativa Seed Powder

Skin Conditioning

Helianthus Annuus Seedcake

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

Perfuming
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea IconEU Allergen Icon

Sodium Gluconate

Skin Conditioning

Copper Gluconate

Skin Conditioning
Good for Scar Healing Icon

Calcium Gluconate

Humectant

Magnesium Gluconate

Skin Conditioning

Zinc Gluconate

Skin Conditioning
Zinc IconHelps fight Acne IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores Icon

Tocopheryl Succinate

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Niacin

Smoothing

Sesamum Indicum Seed Powder

Skin Conditioning

Water

Skin Conditioning

Mel

Emollient

Diamond Powder

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Camelina Sativa Seed Oil

Skin Conditioning
Oil IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Spirulina Platensis Powder

Skin Protecting

Glycerin

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

Paraffinum Liquidum

Emollient
0-2 / 0 Oil IconMay worsen Oily Skin Icon

Maris Sal

Skin Conditioning

Salicornia Herbacea Extract

Skin Conditioning

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Emollient
3 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Molasses Extract

Skin Conditioning

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Masking
0-2 / 0 Oil IconFragrance IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Beta-Carotene

Skin Conditioning

Acetyl Glucosamine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Faex Extract

Skin Conditioning

Olus Oil

Emollient
Oil IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores Icon

Parfum

Masking
Synthetic Fragrance IconFragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

BHT

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Benzyl Benzoate

Antimicrobial
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Linalool

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea IconEU Allergen Icon

Limonene

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea IconEU Allergen Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

BHT
Antioxidant, Masking

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.

As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.

The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.

However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.

Learn more about BHT
Humectant

Fructose is fruit/plant sugar. It can be found in apples, figs, and honey.

This ingredient is a humectant. Humectants help draw moisture from the air to your skin, keeping your skin hydrated.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Skin Conditioning

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil is from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. It is a skin conditioning agent and emollient that sits on top of skin to soften and hydrate it.

Over 98% of the oil is made up of long-chain fatty acids, mostly aachidic acid (61%), docosenoic acid (~16%), and docosadienoic acid (~18%).

This combination is not really found in any other plant oil and is the reason this is one of the most stable botanical oils available.

Some studies show it to be more stable than jojoba oil, helps a product resist going rancid, and can help extend the shelf life of a formula.

It also naturally contains vitamin E and phytosterols that give it a mild antioxidant benefit.

This ingredient is typically used from around 1% to fairly high levels since it's gentle; it's well-tolerated and low on the irritation scale.

Learn more about Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Perfuming, Solvent

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.

When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Learn more about Limonene
Skin Conditioning

Though this ingredient might sound like a juicy fruit extract, it's actually the fat pressed from the mango seed kernel (or the pit).

In skincare, it behaves more like shea butter and cocoa butter than like a plant active.

The fatty acid makeup of mango seed butter makes it special; it's typically rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid.

This combo helps it melt on skin, feel creamy, and leave behind a protective "seal" that slows down water loss.

It also contains a small amount of "extras" like tocopherols (vitamin E) and phytosterols, which are often used to support skin soothing.

Due to its fatty acid content (like oleic acid), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.

Learn more about Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Masking, Perfuming

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum
Emulsifying, Surfactant

PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate is a synthetic, water-soluble surfactant and emulsifier.

It's a "superfatting" agent that helps replenish some of your skin's oils after they're stripped away by other surfactants.

This is why "gentle" and "moisturizing" cleansers feel less stripping than basic ones.

Typical concentrations range from 1-10% and it has a solid safety record. The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe at concentrations up to 10% in leave-on products.

Dermal application tests at 50% also did not produce irritation in two studies.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe and in vitro studies have shown Malassezia can metabolize it.

Learn more about PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

This ingredient is a solvent. It helps dissolve active ingredients and alter the texture of products.

Propylene Carbonate is commonly used in makeup and with clay, such as montmorillonite or bentonite.

Studies show this ingredient to be safe for cosmetics. When it is undiluted, it can cause skin irritation. (It is always diluted in skincare and makeup). This ingredient is water-soluble.

Propylene Carbonate is created from propylene glycol and carbonic acid.

Learn more about Propylene Carbonate

This ingredient is an emollient designed to leave a non-greasy feel. It is also a skin conditioning agent and viscosity modifier.

Skin irritation studies for this ingredient (up to 80%) showed mimimal to no irritation.

One thing worth knowing: this ingredient may enhance the skin penetration of other ingredients.

Overall, this ingredient is a well-tolerated and lightweight emollient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Stearalkonium Hectorite is a clay-derived ingredient used to thicken a product and help create a gel-like texture.

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. Remember to stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

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