Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Naturium Azelaic Topical Acid 10%

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Naturium Azelaic Topical Acid 10% This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and refine the look of pores. This calming serum is formulated around Potassium

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Versus Naturium Azelaic Topical Acid 10%

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

This calming serum is formulated around Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate and Niacinamide to calm redness and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Methylpropanediol

Butylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

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

Propanediol

Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Niacinamide

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Phenylpropanol

Citric Acid

Potassium Chloride

Glycerin

Chlorphenesin

Tocopherol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Propanediol, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Niacinamide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenylpropanol, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Glycerin, Chlorphenesin, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, 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.

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.

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. 03Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  4. 04Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  5. 05Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
  6. 06Glycereth-26 is a synthetic ingredient and polyethylene glycol ether of Glycerin. Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin and helps keep your skin moisturized.
  7. 07It is a humectant and helps add texture to products. It can make your product thicker.
  8. 08As a humectant, it helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps your skin stay hydrated.
  9. 09Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  10. 10Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  11. 11Your 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.
  12. 12Aquaporin-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.
  13. 13This 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.
  14. 14Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  15. 15Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  16. 16Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
  17. 17There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
  18. 18D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
  19. 19Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
  20. 20Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side

Continue reading

Related articles