mCaffeine 2% Salicylic Acid, Zinc PCA, & Matcha Tea Clear Skin Acne Pads Versus PCA Skin Clearskin

mCaffeine 2% Salicylic Acid, Zinc PCA, & Matcha Tea Clear Skin Acne Pads Versus PCA Skin Clearskin

This acne exfoliating pad uses a pre-saturated pad with Salicylic Acid and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to clear breakouts and refine the look of pores.

This acne moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Bisabolol to clear breakouts and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Aminomethyl Propanol

Salicylic Acid

Aloe Barbadensis Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Zinc PCA

Caffeine

Glycerin

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate

Phenoxyethanol

Triethylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Propylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Zinc PCA, Caffeine, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Triethylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Ethylhexyl Isononanoate

Niacinamide

Glycereth-26

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Butylene Glycol

Carbomer

Polyisobutene

Caprylyl Glycol

Bisabolol

PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether

Sodium Hydroxide

Hexylene Glycol

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Sodium Hyaluronate

Retinyl Palmitate

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Water, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl Glycol, Bisabolol, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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!

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