Artistry Beauty Skin Nutrition Hydrating Smoothing Toner Versus PCA Skin Smoothing Toner

Artistry Beauty Skin Nutrition Hydrating Smoothing Toner Versus PCA Skin Smoothing Toner

This hydrating toner is formulated around Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract and Acetyl Glucosamine to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

This smoothing toner is formulated around Lactic Acid and Citric Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Propanediol

Glycerin

Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract

Sodium Citrate

Chlorphenesin

Hydrolyzed Oats

Disodium EDTA

Acetyl Glucosamine

Ceteth-20

Citric Acid

Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Malpighia Emarginata Fruit Extract

Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment

Sodium Hyaluronate

Parfum

Sodium Lactate

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Benzoate

Xanthan Gum

Lecithin

Potassium Sorbate

Gluconolactone

Sodium PCA

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil

Carrageenan

Glucose

Ceramide NP

Beta-Sitosterol

Oenothera Biennis Oil

Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Glycine Soja Oil

BHT

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Hexyl Cinnamal

Limonene

Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Sodium Citrate, Chlorphenesin, Hydrolyzed Oats, Disodium EDTA, Acetyl Glucosamine, Ceteth-20, Citric Acid, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Malpighia Emarginata Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Gluconolactone, Sodium PCA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Carrageenan, Glucose, Ceramide NP, Beta-Sitosterol, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, BHT, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene

Lactic Acid

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Hydrastis Canadensis Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Arctium Lappa Root Extract

Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract

Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrastis Canadensis Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Tetrasodium EDTA

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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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