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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish versus Lancer Skincare The Method Polish .

Last updated on October 21, 2023. Published on October 24, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe exfoliators. They have a total of 12 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain exfoliants, retinoid and Vitamin E

Suited For

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

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens 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 American Brand United States
Exfoliator Brand

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

Shop

Buy Exfoliating Polish

Starts at $24.96
Shop

Buy The Method Polish

Starts at $56.00

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

Retinoid
Vitamin C (2)
Vitamin E
Exfoliators

Benefits

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

Concerns

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

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin E
Exfoliators (2)

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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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: Humectant, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

PEG-8 is a synthetic polymer used as a humectant and solvent.

This ingredient is able to help dissolve active ingredients, including water. This gives it humectant properties.

It is soluble in water. The number '8' stands for the molecular weight of the ingredient.

Learn more about Peg-8

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 1.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 3.

2
What it does: Abrasive, Buffering, Skin Protecting
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sodium Bicarbonate has a more famous name: Baking soda.

In cosmetics, it is used to adjust the acidity. Due to its white crystalline solid form, it can also be an abrasive (exfoliator).

This ingredient is water-soluble.

Learn more about Sodium Bicarbonate

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 2.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Absorbent, Buffering

We don't have a description for Magnesium Oxide.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 3.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 4.

4
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

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 5.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 5.

5
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 6.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 1.

6
What it does: Cleansing

Oleth-20 comes from oleyl alcohol. It is an emulsifier that helps reduce surface tension of dirt and pollutants to be washed away.

The 20 stands for the average number of ethylene oxide units.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 7.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 6.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

This ingredient comes from Hydroxystearic Acid, a fatty acid, and glycerin. It is used to thicken oils.

Due to its fatty acid content, it is a natural emollient.

Creating trihydroxystearin involves using a chemical reaction between hydrogen and castor oil.

This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Trihydroxystearin

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 8.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 7.

8
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

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 9.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 10.

9
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.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 10.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 9.

10
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 13.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 17.

11
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.

This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.

First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.

This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.

Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.

Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:

Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.

This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.

The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.

While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.

All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.

Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate

Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.

Learn more about Retinyl Palmitate

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 20.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 16.

12
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

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish contains this as ingredient number 23.

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish contains this as ingredient number 19.

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

19% are loved or liked
26% have mixed ratings
41% are disliked or very disliked
15% have no rating yet
30% are loved or liked
25% have mixed ratings
35% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet

Usage

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

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish 27 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Expensive (1)
CarolynDavidson's avatar

CarolynDavidson

1 month ago · Combination Skin
Review

Instant results omg. But v expensive, I only use if it’s a gift

Lancer Skincare The Method Polish 20 ingredients

The Method Polish hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 1 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Lancer Skincare The Method Polish.

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