First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub With 10% AHA Versus Alba Botanica Acnedote Face & Body Scrub

First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub With 10% AHA Versus Alba Botanica Acnedote Face & Body Scrub

This acne exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Salix Alba Bark Extract to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Salicylic Acid 2%

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Juglans Regia Shell Powder

Spiraea Ulmaria Extract

Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Rhizome/Root

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Mentha Piperita Oil

Algin

Allantoin

Citric Acid

Panthenol

Cellulose Gum

Sclerotium Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citral

Limonene

Linalool

Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Glycerin, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Rhizome/Root, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Algin, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Cellulose Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool

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.

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.

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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