First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub With 10% AHA Versus Touch Keratosis Pilaris Exfoliating Body Wash

First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub With 10% AHA Versus Touch Keratosis Pilaris Exfoliating Body Wash

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

Ammonium Glycolate

Sodium C12-14 Olefin Sulfonate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Salicylic Acid

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Centella Asiatica Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Parfum

Water, Glycolic Acid, Ammonium Glycolate, Glycerin, Sodium C12-14 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Centella Asiatica Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum

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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.

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.

Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with tons of research backing its benefits.

It is found naturally in sugar cane but the form used in skincare is usually synthetic for purity and stability.

Glycolic acid removes the top layer of dead skin cells to allow newer and fresher ones to emerge.

AHAs work by breaking down the structural “glue” that holds old skin cells in place. When that buildup is gone, your skin can renew itself more efficiently.

Research also shows glycolic acid stimulates collagen production, helping to firm and thicken the skin over time. This is one of its biggest advantages over other AHAs.

Overall, glycolic acid helps with:

Fun fact: Glycolic acid boosts skin hydration by helping it produce molecules that increase hyaluronic acid naturally.

To work best, glycolic acid products should have a pH between 3-4 (that’s where exfoliation is most effective but still gentle on skin).

The pH and concentration of a product are key to its effectiveness:

It is normal to feel a slight stinging sensation when using glycolic acid. This usually fades as your skin adjusts.

Because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size in the AHA family, it can penetrate deeper, which enhances its effectiveness but also makes it more likely to irritate sensitive skin.

If your skin is very sensitive or prone to rosacea, glycolic acid may be too strong; in that case, try milder options like lactic acid or a PHA instead.

Recent studies suggest glycolic acid might even help protect against UV damage. But don’t skip sunscreen! Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive to the sun.

Glycolic acid is a skincare superstar. It smooths, brightens, hydrates, and firms the skin. Unless you’re highly sensitive, it’s well worth adding to your routine.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

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!

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