O Cosmedics Exfoliating Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice The Unscrub

O Cosmedics Exfoliating Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice The Unscrub

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Diatomaceous Earth and Niacinamide to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Jojoba Esters

Glycerin

Isopropyl Isostearate

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Diheptyl Succinate

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Diatomaceous Earth

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Zeolite

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract

Niacinamide

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Thermus Thermophillus Ferment

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed

Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil

Xanthan Gum

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Disodium EDTA

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Jojoba Esters, Glycerin, Isopropyl Isostearate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Diatomaceous Earth, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Zeolite, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Decyl Glucoside

PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether

Polyacrylamide

Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Citric Acid

Laureth-7

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Jojoba Esters, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Decyl Glucoside, PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Jojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.

This ingredient has high oxidative stability, meaning it doesn't break down when exposed to oxygen.

Its similarity to our skin's natural oils makes it a great emollient. Emollients help soften and soothe our skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, keeping skin hydrated.

It is created using either the hydrogenation or transesterification processes on jojoba oil.

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.

Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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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