Explore Routine Login

Merle Norman Exfoliating Charcoal Scrub Ingredients Explained

0
0
0
0

Published on March 14, 2021 Submitted by Dot8788

Overview

What it is

Exfoliator with 33 ingredients that contains exfoliants

Cool Features

It is cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe

Suited For

It has ingredients that are good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

It doesn't contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates

Fun facts

Merle Norman is from United States.

We independently verify ingredients and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Does this product need an update? Let us know.

You should know

Here's our breakdown of the notable ingredients, benefits, and concerns we determined from the ingredients in this product. Click any item to learn more.

Notable Ingredients

Exfoliators (2)

Benefits

Hydrating
Brightening

Concerns

Irritating

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

Ingredients Overview

Here's our quick-to-read summary of the ingredients in this product. Keep scrolling if you'd like to learn more about what each ingredient does!
Ingredient
Features
1
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
0 / 0
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon
2
3
Skin Conditioning, Solvent
4
Cleansing, Emulsion Stabilising
5
Skin Conditioning
6
Emulsion Stabilising
7
Emollient, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
8
Skin Conditioning
9
Abrasive, Absorbent
Exfoliant Icon
10
Skin Conditioning
11
Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon
12
Astringent, Refreshing, Skin Conditioning, Tonic
13
Moisturising, Skin Conditioning
14
Skin Conditioning
15
Masking, Skin Conditioning
May cause irritation Icon
16
Skin Conditioning
17
Skin Conditioning
Oil Icon
18
19
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
1 / 0
20
21
22
Masking, Tonic
23
Cleansing
24
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
25
Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
0-2 / 0-1
26
Skin Conditioning
27
28
Antimicrobial, Preservative
Preservative Icon
29
Preservative
Preservative Icon
30
Buffering, Masking
AHA IconMay cause irritation IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconMay worsen Rosacea IconHelps brighten skin Icon
31
Masking
32
Masking, Perfuming
Fragrance Icon
33
Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning
Fragrance Icon

Ingredients Explained

This product contains 33 ingredients. Click on any ingredient to learn more about it
1
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

We don't have a description for Phytelephas Aequatorialis Seed Powder.

3
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water
4
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Mixed

Decyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant. Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away.

It is created from the fatty acids in coconut oil.

Decyl Glucoside also helps stabilize the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.

This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.

Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.

Learn more about Decyl Glucoside
5
What it does: Skin Conditioning

We don't have a description for Volcanic Sand.

6
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer and used to help stabilize other ingredients.

Emulsion stabilizers hold ingredients together, helping to create an even texture throughout the product.

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate can also be used to thicken the texture.

Learn more about Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
7
What it does: Emollient, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Hydrogenated Polydecene is an emollient. It creates a non-occlusive film on the skin that offers extra protection for your skin barrier.

The texture of Hydrogenated Polydecene ranges from light and silky to rich.

Hydrogenated Polydecene is the end compound of controlled hydrogenation of Polydecene.

Learn more about Hydrogenated Polydecene
8
What it does: Skin Conditioning

We don't have a description for Isodecyl Salicylate.

9
What it does: Abrasive, Absorbent
Community Rating: Mixed

Charcoal Powder is an exfoliant.

10
What it does: Skin Conditioning

We don't have a description for Zingiber Officinale Root Powder.

11
What it does: Abrasive

Coffea Robusta Seed Powder is an exfoliant.

12
What it does: Astringent, Refreshing, Skin Conditioning, Tonic

We don't have a description for Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract.

13
What it does: Moisturising, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

This ingredient is also called sugarcane extract. It is a moisturizing humectant and has skin soothing properties.

Similar to hyaluronic acid, sugarcane can attract moisture to your skin.

Glycolic acid is a derivative of sugarcane. While glycolic acid is an AHA with exfoliating properties, sugarcane is not an AHA.

A study from 2021 found the compounds in sugarcane extract to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. The study also suggests these compounds can inhibit skin ageing enzymes and promote collagen synthesis.

Learn more about Saccharum Officinarum Extract
14
What it does: Skin Conditioning

We don't have a description for Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract.

15
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract comes from lemons. While lemon extract is exfoliating and antimicrobial, it can also cause skin sensitivity.

Lemons contains antioxidants, which may help with anti-aging. They are also rich in citric acid, an AHA.

And of course, lemons are rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps with skin-brightening and increasing collagen production.

The acidity of lemons may work as an astringent for acne.

However, lemons can also cause skin sensitivity due to its limonene content. It can also increase photosensitivity, or sensitivity to the sun.

This ingredient is also used to add a lemon scent to products.

Learn more about Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
16
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

We don't have a description for Acer Saccharum Extract.

17
What it does: Skin Conditioning

Michelia Champaca Flower Oil is an oil.

18
What it does:

We don't have a description for Galactoarabinan.

19
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.

We don't have a description for Bis-Lauryl Cocaminopropylamine/Hdi/Peg-100 Copolymer.

21
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

We don't have a description for Glyceryl Polyacrylate.

22
What it does: Masking, Tonic

We don't have a description for Ethylene Brassylate.

23
What it does: Cleansing

We don't have a description for Trideceth-10.

24
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
25
What it does: Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Disliked

Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, Hexylene Glycol helps gather dirt and oil on your skin to be washed away.

As an emulsifier, Hexylene Glycol helps keep water and oil together. This prevents them from separating in a product. Hexylene Glycol also thins out the texture of a product by lessening viscosity.

Hexylene Glycol has a small molecular weight.

Learn more about Hexylene Glycol
26
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

27
What it does:

Polyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.

According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.

28
What it does: Antimicrobial, Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.

Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.

Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.

Learn more about Chlorphenesin
29
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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.

30
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid
31
What it does: Masking

We don't have a description for Methyldihydrojasmonate.

32
What it does: Masking, Perfuming

Ethyl Linalool is a fragrance.

33
What it does: Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning

Gamma-Nonalactone is a fragrance.

Embed Ingredients

Here's what our community thinks of the 33 ingredients in this product ✨

15% are loved or liked
15% have mixed ratings
18% are disliked or very disliked
52% have no rating yet

When to use

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

Directions

Gently massage a nickel-sized amount onto clean, damp skin in a circular motion avoiding the eye area. Rinse thoroughly. To achieve a maximum mask-like deep cleaning with conditioning and soothing benefits, leave on a few minutes before rinsing. Not recommended for those with...

Gently massage a nickel-sized amount onto clean, damp skin in a circular motion avoiding the eye area. Rinse thoroughly. To achieve a maximum mask-like deep cleaning with conditioning and soothing benefits, leave on a few minutes before rinsing. Not recommended for those with acne or sensitive skin concerns.

Verified by SkinSort

We're dedicated to providing you with the most up-to-date and science-backed ingredient info out there.

The data we've presented on this page has been verified by a member of the SkinSort Team.

Read more about us