This acne treatment is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Retinal to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Sodium Citrate
BufferingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Olive Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingOlea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Benzalkonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Water, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Behenyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Benzalkonium Chloride, Stearic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isododecane
EmollientGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
PEG-6
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantRetinal
Skin Conditioning
Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isododecane, Glycolic Acid, Isopropyl Alcohol, PEG-6, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polysorbate 60, CI 17200, Retinal, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateIsopropyl Alcohol is more commonly known as rubbing alcohol. It is most commonly used as a solvent, meaning it helps other ingredients dissolve.
This ingredient is an astringent alcohol. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin as they high amounts may strip away your skin's natural oils.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Isopropyl AlcoholPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
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.
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
