Skin science article
Dr. Jetske Ultee Exfoliant - Normal To Dry Skin Versus Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid
Dr. Jetske Ultee Exfoliant - Normal To Dry Skin Versus Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Allantoin to refine skin texture and brighten
Dr. Jetske Ultee Exfoliant - Normal To Dry Skin Versus Paula's Choice Clear Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution With 2% Salicylic Acid
This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Allantoin to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
This acne exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to clear breakouts and calm redness.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycolic Acid
Glycerin
Pentylene Glycol
Sodium Hydroxide
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Methyl Gluceth-20
Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan
Allantoin
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Ethylhexylglycerin
Disodium EDTA
Water, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Methyl Gluceth-20, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA
Salicylic Acid 2%
Dipropylene Glycol
Polysorbate 20
Butylene Glycol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Panthenol
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
Glycereth-26
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Panthenol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycereth-26, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite
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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.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
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.
Methyl Gluceth-20 is a humectant. Humectants help draw moisture from the air to your skin.
It is created by combining polyethylene glycol with glucose.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
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!