Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer versus Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator .

Published on September 04, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe exfoliators. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA and exfoliants

Suited For

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

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens, fragrances and oils

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

Exfoliator British Brand United Kingdom
Exfoliator American Brand United States

Exfoliator

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

Exfoliator

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

Price

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Buy Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer

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Buy Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator

Starts at $36.00

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

AHA
Exfoliators

Benefits

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

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Vitamin E
Exfoliators

Benefits

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

Concerns

Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)
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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

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 1.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

Within a product, Caprylic Triglyceride can thicken the product and make spreadability easier by dissolving clumping compounds. An added benefit of Caprylic Triglyceride is its antioxidant properties.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Caprylic Triglyceride has not been found to be toxic for human use in concentrations under 50%.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 2.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 3.

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

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.

This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.

Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 4.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 19.

4
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Cetyl Alcohol is not related to SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 5.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 5.

5
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

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 6.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 4.

6
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying
Community Rating: Disliked

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

Glyceryl Stearate is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.

As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.

In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced. The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 10.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 6.

7
What it does:
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

Peg-100 Stearate helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. It helps prevent oil and water from separating in a product. By binding oil and water, it helps remove dirt and oil to be rinsed away.

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 11.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 7.

8
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 19.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 10.

9
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.

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 21.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 11.

10
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. 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. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

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

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

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

Monroe Skincare Exfoliator & Pore Minimizer contains this as ingredient number 26.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age-Defying Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 13.

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

21% are loved or liked
3% have mixed ratings
66% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet
36% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
40% are disliked or very disliked
12% have no rating yet

Usage

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

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