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Skin science article

Dear, Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Dear, Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sh-Oligopeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles. This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Dear, Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sh-Oligopeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract

Lecithin

Sorbitan Sesquioleate

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Glycerin

Chlorphenesin

Guaiazulene

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Water, Butylene Glycol, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Lecithin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, Chlorphenesin, Guaiazulene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine

Methylpropanediol

Salicylic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Camellia Oleifera Leaf

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Camellia Oleifera Leaf, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium 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.

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.

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!

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. 031,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
  4. 04It is a:
  5. 05Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  6. 06Emollient, helping to soften skin
  7. 07Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  8. 08Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
  9. 09Ethoxydiglycol (aka Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether) is one of the cosmetic world's quiet problem solvers.
  10. 10In a formula, it is a solvent that dissolves tricky ingredients that don't want to mix in and helps spread ingredients evenly across your skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling
  11. 11This makes it great for hard-to-dissolve actives like vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and self-tanner DHA.
  12. 12It also has mild humectant and penetration enhancer abilities so it can help some actives absorb a little deeper.
  13. 13The penetration boost is backed by lab research: studies using human skin samples found it improved how well an active dissolves into the upper layer of skin rather than tearing down your skin barrier. Reviews of its mechanism also describe it inter…
  14. 14Just know this penetration-enhancing effect is not universal. It helps a lot in some formulas and did very little in others (so the benefit really depends on the specific product).
  15. 15Safety-wise, the evidence is reassuring. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel reviewed it and concluded it's safe for use in cosmetics and recognized it as non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-comedogenic in skincare.
  16. 16Typical leave-on skincare usage lands around 1-10%. The EU has sets caps of 2.6% in non-spray products, 10% in rinse-offs, 7% in oxidative hair dye, and 5% in non-oxidative hair dye.
  17. 17Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  18. 18Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  19. 19Your 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.
  20. 20Aquaporin-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.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

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