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Paula's Choice 8% AHA Lotion Exfoliant Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Liquid Exfoliant

Paula's Choice 8% AHA Lotion Exfoliant Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Liquid Exfoliant This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin. This smoothing e

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice 8% AHA Lotion Exfoliant Versus Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Liquid Exfoliant

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Mandelic Acid and Lactic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycolic Acid

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Sodium Hydroxide

Beheneth-5

Dimethicone

Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate

Behenyl Alcohol

Undecane

Arachidyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Alcohol

Phospholipids

Allantoin

Tocopheryl Acetate

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Bisabolol

Arctium Lappa Seed Oil

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Panthenol

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Tridecane

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Sclerotium Gum

Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate

Disodium EDTA

Tocopherol

Chlorphenesin

Benzoic Acid

Sorbic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycolic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Beheneth-5, Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Undecane, Arachidyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phospholipids, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Arctium Lappa Seed Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Tridecane, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Sclerotium Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

2,3-Butanediol

Mandelic Acid

Lactic Acid

Myrica Cerifera Fruit Extract

Akebia Quinata Stem Extract

Prunus Lannesiana Flower Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Saccharomyces Lysate

Achillea Millefolium Extract

Saccharide Isomerate

Arginine

Hydroxyacetophenone

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Phytate

Pentylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Water, 2,3-Butanediol, Mandelic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Myrica Cerifera Fruit Extract, Akebia Quinata Stem Extract, Prunus Lannesiana Flower Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces Lysate, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Arginine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

01

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. 03Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
  4. 04Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
  5. 05This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
  6. 06A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
  7. 07Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
  8. 08Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
  9. 09Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
  10. 10Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  11. 11Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  12. 12Your 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.
  13. 13Aquaporin-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.
  14. 14This 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.
  15. 15Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  16. 16Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  17. 17Water. 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.
  18. 18So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
  19. 19You'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!
  20. 20Xanthan 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.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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