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Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Toner for Normal to Dry Skin Versus Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Problem Skin Toner

Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Toner for Normal to Dry Skin Versus Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Problem Skin Toner This calming toner is formulated around Allantoin and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to calm redness and hydrate skin. This acne to

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Toner for Normal to Dry Skin Versus Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Problem Skin Toner

This calming toner is formulated around Allantoin and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to calm redness and hydrate skin.

This acne toner is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Cyclopentasiloxane

Glycereth-26

Allantoin

Genistein

Carnosine

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Epigallocatechin Gallate

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dimethiconol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Oleic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Linoleic Acid

Phospholipids

Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Polysorbate 20

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Xanthan Gum

Laureth-4

Laureth-23

Sodium Hydroxide

Butylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycereth-26, Allantoin, Genistein, Carnosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Polysorbate 20, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Salix Nigra Bark Extract

Panthenol

Chamomilla Recutita Oil

Salicylic Acid

Ascorbic Acid

Glyceryl Caprylate

Glyceryl Undecylenate

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Glycerin, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Panthenol, Chamomilla Recutita Oil, Salicylic Acid, Allantoin, Ascorbic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

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.

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. 03Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  4. 04Like 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.
  5. 05However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  6. 06Due 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.
  7. 07In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  8. 08While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  9. 09Most 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.
  10. 10Rosacea 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.
  11. 11However, 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…
  12. 12Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
  13. 13The 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 …
  14. 14Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
  15. 15Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  16. 16Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  17. 17Your 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.
  18. 18Aquaporin-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.
  19. 19This 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.
  20. 20Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

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03

Comparison edit

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