Sofie Pavitt Face Studio-Smooth Microdermabrasion Treatment Versus Trader Joe's Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub
This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Gluconolactone to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Kaolin and Lactic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
PEG-8
HumectantMagnesium Oxide
AbsorbentSodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sea Water
HumectantZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEthoxydiglycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningPumice
Abrasive
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Kaolin
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Raspberry Ketone
Masking
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Vaccinium Corymbosum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPunica Granatum Extract
AstringentAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Pumice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Kaolin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sclerotium Gum, Lactobacillus Ferment, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Citric Acid, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Raspberry Ketone, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Vaccinium Corymbosum Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 Phenoxyethanol
