Selfless by Hyram Mandelic Acid & Rice Bran Gentle Exfoliating Serum Versus Youth To The People Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant
This smoothing serum is formulated around Mandelic Acid and Gluconolactone to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening exfoliator is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Panthenol to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Annona Cherimola Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Phytic Acid
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentPolydextrose
HumectantAmylopectin
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenylpropanol
Masking
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Propanediol, Mandelic Acid, Annona Cherimola Fruit Extract, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hydroxide, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Phytic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dextrin, Polydextrose, Amylopectin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Niacinamide, Sodium Citrate, Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract, Phenylpropanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Medicago Sativa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSpinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Chloride
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Ascorbic Acid, Lecithin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Medicago Sativa Leaf Extract, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Parfum, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Chloride, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
