DRMTLGY Microdermabrasion Scrub Versus Paula's Choice The Unscrub

DRMTLGY Microdermabrasion Scrub Versus Paula's Choice The Unscrub

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Pumice

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dimethicone

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Titanium Dioxide

Cetearyl Alcohol

Ceteareth-20

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Citrus Medica Limonum Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Isohexadecane

Polysorbate 80

Sodium Benzoate

Gluconolactone

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Magnesium Silicate

Tetrasodium EDTA

Parfum

Blue 1 Lake

Water, Pumice, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Benzoate, Gluconolactone, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Parfum, Blue 1 Lake

Jojoba Esters

PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Decyl Glucoside

PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether

Polyacrylamide

Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Caprylyl Glycol

Citric Acid

Disodium EDTA

Laureth-7

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Jojoba Esters, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Decyl Glucoside, PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

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.

Glyceryl 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.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

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