Mario Badescu Witch Hazel & Lavender Toner Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner

Mario Badescu Witch Hazel & Lavender Toner Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner

This calming toner is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to calm redness and hydrate skin.

This hydrating toner is formulated around Squalane and Colloidal Oatmeal to hydrate skin and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Glycerin

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water

Pentylene Glycol

Polysorbate 20

Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Citric Acid

Propylene Glycol

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Benzoic Acid

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Sulfate

CI 60730

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, CI 60730

Glycereth-26

Squalane

Sorbitan Oleate

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Colloidal Oatmeal

Mel

Saccharomyces/Honey Ferment Filtrate

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Beta-Glucan

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Propolis Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sorbic Acid

Water, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Squalane, Sorbitan Oleate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Colloidal Oatmeal, Mel, Saccharomyces/Honey Ferment Filtrate, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Beta-Glucan, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Propolis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid

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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.

Benzoic Acid is an organic acid that shows up in cosmetics as a preservative. It helps keep a product from spoiling by holding back the growth of yeast, mold, and some bacteria.

This ingredient also functions as a fragrance ingredient that helps mask the unpleasant scent of other ingredients.

The way it works is worth understanding; benzoic acid works when the formula is acidic. It is able to sneak into a microbe's cell and mess up how it functions to stop it from growing in an acidic product.

However, the acid switches to an inactive form and stops working if a product isn't acidic enough (above ~5 pH). This is why you'll often see it in low pH products or teamed up with other preservatives to cover the gap.

Safety wise, it's one of the better studied preservatives out there.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%.

A large international review found this ingredient had no effects on the human body and had low irritation potential.

Just so you know, real world use is usually much lower than the 5% ceiling (usually 1% of less).

The EU caps it at 2.5% in rinse-off products, 1.7% in oral care, and 0.5% in leave-on products.

One thing worth mentioning (it's nothing to worry about): some people get a little stinging or flushing where they apply it. This isn't a true allergy; it's a temporary and harmless reaction. This is the same kind of mild tingle you might notice from sorbic acid.

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.

Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.

Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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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