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Skin science article

BYOMA Brightening Toner Versus Paula's Choice BHA 9 Treatment

BYOMA Brightening Toner Versus Paula's Choice BHA 9 Treatment This brightening toner is formulated around Salix Alba Bark Extract and Lactic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture. This acne treatment is formulated around Salicylic Acid to

BYOMA Brightening Toner Versus Paula's Choice BHA 9 Treatment

This brightening toner is formulated around Salix Alba Bark Extract and Lactic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

This acne treatment is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium Lactate

Dipropylene Glycol

Glycerin

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Lactic Acid

Diglycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Urea

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tocopherol

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Sodium Phytate

Betula Alba Juice

Mandelic Acid

Benzaldehyde

Benzoic Acid

Sphingolipids

Ceramide NP

Water, Sodium Lactate, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Lactic Acid, Diglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Urea, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sodium Phytate, Betula Alba Juice, Mandelic Acid, Benzaldehyde, Benzoic Acid, Sphingolipids, Ceramide NP

Propylene Glycol

PEG-75 Stearate

PEG-8

Salicylic Acid

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Butylene Glycol

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract

Sea Whip Extract

Arginine

Polysorbate 20

Disodium EDTA

Propylene Glycol, PEG-75 Stearate, PEG-8, Water, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Butylene Glycol, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Sea Whip Extract, Arginine, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

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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. 03Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  4. 04Like 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.
  5. 05However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  6. 06Due 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.
  7. 07In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  8. 08While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  9. 09Most 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.
  10. 10Rosacea 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.
  11. 11However, 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…
  12. 12Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
  13. 13As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
  14. 14The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
  15. 15True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
  16. 16It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
  17. 17Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
  18. 18Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying ingredient. It is created from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. SLES is not the same as sodium lauryl sulfate. It is much milder and less likely to irritate.
  19. 19SLES helps create foam in personal products. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life.
  20. 20Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

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