Alastin Resurface Skin Polish Versus Lancer Skincare The Method Polish

Alastin Resurface Skin Polish Versus Lancer Skincare The Method Polish

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Perlite and Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Perlite

Water

Sucrose Laurate

Xylitol

Glycolic Acid

Lactoferrin

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Tocopherol

Squalane

Polylysine

Arginine

Sodium Hydroxide

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

CI 77742

Tin Oxide

CI 77891

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Perlite, Water, Sucrose Laurate, Xylitol, Glycolic Acid, Lactoferrin, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Tocopherol, Squalane, Polylysine, Arginine, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, CI 77742, Tin Oxide, CI 77891

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Bicarbonate

PEG-8

Magnesium Oxide

Oleth-20

Trihydroxystearin

Silica

PEG-100 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract

Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Lactobacillus Ferment

Retinyl Palmitate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Alaria Esculenta Extract

Butylene Glycol, Sodium Bicarbonate, PEG-8, Magnesium Oxide, Glycerin, Oleth-20, Trihydroxystearin, Silica, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Water, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alaria Esculenta Extract

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Glycerin (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.

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!

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