European Wax Center Face & Body Exfoliating Gel Versus First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub With 10% AHA

European Wax Center Face & Body Exfoliating Gel Versus First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub With 10% AHA

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Bromelain to refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Butylene Glycol

Water

Propylene Glycol

Parfum

Phenoxyethanol

Glycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Panthenol

Sodium Hydroxide

Tocopheryl Acetate

Bromelain

Retinyl Palmitate

Carbomer

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

Sorbic Acid

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Arginine

Aspartic Acid

Ascorbic Acid

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Salix Nigra Bark Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycine

PCA

Alanine

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

Serine

Valine

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract

Isoleucine

Proline

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Threonine

Histidine

Phenylalanine

Aniba Rosodora Wood Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Water, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bromelain, Retinyl Palmitate, Carbomer, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Sorbic Acid, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycine, PCA, Alanine, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Serine, Valine, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Isoleucine, Proline, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Aniba Rosodora Wood Extract

Pumice

Glycolic Acid

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Lactic Acid

Dimethicone

Stearic Acid

Cetearyl Alcohol

Palmitic Acid

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Sorbitol

Colloidal Oatmeal

Tocopherol

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Bisabolol

Hydrogenated Coconut Acid

Xanthan Gum

Steareth-20

Steareth-21

Myristic Acid

Sodium Isethionate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

EDTA

Pumice, Water, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Lactic Acid, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sorbitol, Colloidal Oatmeal, Tocopherol, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Bisabolol, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, Xanthan Gum, Steareth-20, Steareth-21, Myristic Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, EDTA

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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.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

We don't have a description for Salix Nigra Bark Extract yet.

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!

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