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bareMinerals Poreless Exfoliating Essence Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant

bareMinerals Poreless Exfoliating Essence Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant This brightening exfoliator is formulated around Citric Acid and Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin. This smoothing e

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

bareMinerals Poreless Exfoliating Essence Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant

This brightening exfoliator is formulated around Citric Acid and Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dipropylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Coconut Acid

Polyurethane-35

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Acer Saccharum Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Morinda Citrifolia Leaf Extract

Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Xylitol

Citric Acid

Trisodium EDTA

Sodium Citrate

Methylpropanediol

Phenylpropanol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Coconut Acid, Polyurethane-35, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Leaf Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Xylitol, Citric Acid, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Methylpropanediol, Phenylpropanol, Phenoxyethanol

Glycolic Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Panthenol

Sodium PCA

Propylene Glycol

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Polyquaternium-10

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyquaternium-10, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
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Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
  4. 04Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
  5. 05In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
  6. 06Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
  7. 07Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
  8. 08While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
  9. 09This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
  10. 10Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
  11. 11The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure …
  12. 12Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
  13. 13Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  14. 14Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  15. 15Your 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.
  16. 16Aquaporin-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.
  17. 17This 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.
  18. 18Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  19. 19Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  20. 20Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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