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Skin science article

boscia Luminizing Charcoal Mask Versus Paula's Choice Pore Clarifying Charcoal Gel Mask

boscia Luminizing Charcoal Mask Versus Paula's Choice Pore Clarifying Charcoal Gel Mask This wash off mask is made with Bentonite and Charcoal Powder for a rinse-off oil-control boost. This wash off mask is made with Bentonite and Kaolin for a rinse-off pore-c

boscia Luminizing Charcoal Mask Versus Paula's Choice Pore Clarifying Charcoal Gel Mask

This wash off mask is made with Bentonite and Charcoal Powder for a rinse-off oil-control boost.

This wash off mask is made with Bentonite and Kaolin for a rinse-off pore-care boost.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Polyvinyl Alcohol

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Glycereth-26

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

CI 77499

Pentylene Glycol

Bentonite

Polysorbate 20

Charcoal Powder

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Simmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract

Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract

Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract

Acrylates Copolymer

Acrylates/Palmeth-25 Acrylate Copolymer

Citrus Grandis Seed Extract

Diglycerin

Xanthan Gum

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

Ceteth-25

Oleth-10

Alcohol

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, CI 77499, Pentylene Glycol, Bentonite, Polysorbate 20, Charcoal Powder, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Simmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/Palmeth-25 Acrylate Copolymer, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Diglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Ceteth-25, Oleth-10, Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide

Tapioca Starch

Decyl Glucoside

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Kaolin

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract

Bisabolol

Lactic Acid

Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Water, Tapioca Starch, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Butylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Bentonite, Kaolin, Charcoal Powder, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Bisabolol, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, CI 77499, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Bentonite is an aluminium phyllosilicate clay with great absorbent properties. The name 'bentonite' comes from the area where the largest source is found: Fort Benton, Wyoming.

As a clay, bentonite is often used to absorb excess oil and provide exfoliation. It has also been shown to have some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show bentonite was effective at calming dermatitis from poison ivy and in diaper dermatitis of infants. Bentonite has also been shown to act as a barrier against toxic compounds on your skin.

Sunscreens containing bentonite display higher water resistance and stay on the skin for much longer. The sunscreens containing bentonite also show higher potency and UV light absorbtion.

Bentonite is naturally created from volcanic ash and several natural weathering/hydrothermal processes.

A common usage of bentonite is removing excess protein from white wines. Bentonite contains a property of being able to absorb large amounts of protein from aqueous solutions.

Phyllosilicate clay has a structure formed by sheets.

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.

Charcoal powder comes from grounded charcoal. Charcoal can originate from peat, bamboo, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum.

This ingredient has absorbent properties, making it great at absorbing oil.

Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.

Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.

We don't have a description for Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract yet.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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 oxybenzone, and is one of the older organic UV filters. Its main job is sitting in the oil phase and soaking up UV photons (primarily UVB with some short-wave UVA II range).
  4. 04At low levels, oxybenzone also pulls double duty as a formula stabilizer that protects fragrance and colorants from fading in the light.
  5. 05On concentrations:
  6. 06So why did the EU cut back on how much you can use?
  7. 07It comes down to absorption. Oxybenzone passes through skin more easily than other filters.
  8. 08When the FDA tested sunscreens, every filter showed up in people's blood above the level where the agency wants extra safety testing done. But Oxybenzone showed up at by far the highest levels of the bunch.
  9. 09To be clear, the FDA's point was that we need more research and not that the ingredient is dangerous. They also said to keep using sunscreen.
  10. 10That high absorption, plus some animal studies pointing to effects on reproduction, is why EU regulators labeled Benzophenone-3 a hormone disruptor in 2025. An official classification is expected to follow in 2026.
  11. 11It's also the most common photoallergen among sunscreen filters so it's a more frequent cause of contact/photoallergic dermatitis than most alternatives.
  12. 12Places like Hawaii and Palau have also banned it over coral-reef concerns.
  13. 13Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).
  14. 14It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.
  15. 15This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.
  16. 16Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.
  17. 17The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.
  18. 18It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.
  19. 19Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.
  20. 20Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

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03

Comparison edit

Read side by side