Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator versus Merle Norman Gentle Polish .
Published on March 26, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free exfoliators. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin and brightening skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances, oils and silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
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.
Ingredient Info
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator 26 ingredients
Merle Norman Gentle Polish 27 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Contains Parabens
Ingredients in this product that are types of parabens:
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator 26 ingredients
Merle Norman Gentle Polish 27 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator 26 ingredients
Merle Norman Gentle Polish 27 ingredients
Water • Solum Diatomeae • Glycerin • Aluminum Silicate • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil • Dimethicone • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Cetearyl Alcohol • Glyceryl Stearate • Peg-100 Stearate • Phenoxyethanol • Polysorbate 60 • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Sodium Benzoate • Xanthan Gum • Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Parfum • Sodium Hydroxide • Disodium EDTA • Linalool • Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate • Trideceth-6 • Limonene • Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract • Citral • Citric Acid
Water • Cyclopentasiloxane • Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Glycerin • Cetyl Alcohol • Paraffin • Glyceryl Stearate • Paraffinum Liquidum • Peg-100 Stearate • Talc • Peg-8 Stearate • Honey Extract • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil • Stearic Acid • Sodium Laureth Sulfate • Polysorbate 60 • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Disodium EDTA • Carbomer • Butylene Glycol • Triethanolamine • Phenoxyethanol • Methylparaben • Propylparaben • Methicone • Parfum
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterThe Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 1.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 GlycerinThe Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 3.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 5.
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil comes from the sweet almond, a tree native to Iran. This oil has no fragrance and is non-volatile.
Almonds contain healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. It is a rich source of Vitamin E, a great antioxidant and skin conditioning ingredient. Sweet almond oil contains fatty acids such as linolenic acid and triglycerides.
The content of sweet almond oil makes it a great emollient; it can help soften and hydrate your skin. Emollients create a barrier over your skin to trap moisture in. Sweet almond oil has antioxidant properties. This may help with anti-aging, as antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are unstable molecules that may damage your skin's cells.
Those with an almond allergy should be careful of this ingredient and speak with a professional about using it in your skincare.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilThe Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 5.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 14.
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterThe Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 7.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 4.
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 StearateThe Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 9.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 8.
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.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 10.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 10.
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.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 11.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 23.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 12.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 17.
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 ParfumThe Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 17.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 27.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAThe Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 19.
Merle Norman Gentle Polish contains this as ingredient number 19.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator 26 ingredients
Merle Norman Gentle Polish 27 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliator 26 ingredients
Merle Norman Gentle Polish 27 ingredients
Alternatives
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