Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask Versus Swisse Blood Orange Brightening Clay Mask

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask Versus Swisse Blood Orange Brightening Clay Mask This wash off mask is made with Kaolin and Bentonite for a rinse-off oil-control boost. This wash off mask is made with Kaolin and Niacinamide for a rinse-off brightening boost.

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Oil-Absorbing Mask Versus Swisse Blood Orange Brightening Clay Mask

This wash off mask is made with Kaolin and Bentonite for a rinse-off oil-control boost.

This wash off mask is made with Kaolin and Niacinamide for a rinse-off brightening boost.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Kaolin

Bentonite

Glycerin

Salix Alba Extract

Stearic Acid

Steareth-2

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Sea Whip Extract

Colloidal Oatmeal

Bisabolol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Phospholipids

Panthenol

Retinyl Palmitate

Caprylyl Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Glycerin, Salix Alba Extract, Stearic Acid, Steareth-2, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sea Whip Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal, Bisabolol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phospholipids, Panthenol, Retinyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol

Tapioca Starch

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Niacinamide

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil

Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

Glycine Soja Oil

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Tocopherol

Xanthan Gum

Carrageenan

Alcohol

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Parfum

Benzyl Alcohol

Dehydroacetic Acid

Sodium Benzoate

CI 77492

Water, Kaolin, Tapioca Starch, Glycerin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Niacinamide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Carrageenan, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77492

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

Kaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.

Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.

Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.

The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.

Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.

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. 03Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
  4. 04Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
  5. 05In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
  6. 06While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
  7. 07Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
  8. 08This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
  9. 09This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures…
  10. 10Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
  11. 11Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
  12. 12Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
  13. 13Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
  14. 14Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
  15. 15It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
  16. 16Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
  17. 17You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damag…
  18. 18Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
  19. 19It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
  20. 20This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Paula's Choice The Unscrub

Paula's Choice The Unscrub Paula's Choice The Unscrub ingredients explained: Aqua (Water), Jojoba Esters (Cleansing Beads), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Skin-Replenishing), Glycerin (Skin …

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →

Product

Paula's Choice: PC 4 Men Body Wash

Paula's Choice: PC 4 Men Body Wash Paula's Choice: PC 4 Men Body Wash ingredients explained: Water (Aqua), Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (Cleansing), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (Cleansing), Sodium C…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side

Continue reading

Related articles