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Olehenriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Olehenriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant This brightening toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and refine skin texture. This smoothing exfoliator is fo

Olehenriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

This brightening toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and refine skin texture.

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycolic Acid

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Lactic Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Polysorbate 20

Phenoxyethanol

Parfum

Phytic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glycerin

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Santalum Album Extract

Benzoic Acid

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Tocopherol

Citral

Limonene

Linalool

Water, Glycolic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Phytic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Santalum Album Extract, Benzoic Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool

Methylpropanediol

Butylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Camellia Oleifera Leaf

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Camellia Oleifera Leaf, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA

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.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
  4. 04Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
  5. 05The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
  6. 06There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
  7. 07Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
  8. 08The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
  9. 09Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  10. 10What it does:
  11. 11Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  12. 12Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  13. 13Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  14. 14This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
  15. 15Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
  16. 16Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
  17. 17This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
  18. 18On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
  19. 19One 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 st…
  20. 20Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

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