Pixi Beauty Clarity Tonic Versus Hydropeptide Pre-Treatment Toner

Pixi Beauty Clarity Tonic Versus Hydropeptide Pre-Treatment Toner

This smoothing toner is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and clear breakouts.

This smoothing toner is formulated around Lactic Acid and Acetyl Hexapeptide-30 to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Propanediol

Glycerin

Sodium PCA

Betaine

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate Filtrate

Glycolic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Salicylic Acid

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Centella Asiatica Extract

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract

Lactic Acid

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Hydroxide

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Salicylic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Lactic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol

Polysorbate 20

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract

Xanthan Gum

Lactobacillus Ferment

Acetyl Hexapeptide-30

Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract

Acer Saccharum Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Menthyl Ethylamido Oxalate

Morus Alba Leaf Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Allantoin

Geranium Maculatum Extract

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Citrus Limon Peel Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract

Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Limonene

Citral

Hydroxycitronellol

Water, Lactic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract, Xanthan Gum, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Propanediol, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-30, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Menthyl Ethylamido Oxalate, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Limonene, Citral, Hydroxycitronellol

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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.

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.

One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.

Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.

Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.

Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.

Lactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.

Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.

Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.

Like glycolic acid, it can:

Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.

Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.

To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.

Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.

Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.

When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the product’s pH.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.

Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.

This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.

Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is used in skincare because it tends to be more formulation friendly than pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

According to research, MAP has three major benefits:

While MAP is gentler on the skin than ascorbic acid, it is thought to be less easily absorbed into the skin.

In a well-known absorption study, pure vitamin C increased skin vitamin C levels when formulated correctly, but derivatives like MAP did not in that experiment. This suggests MAP may not always convert into active vitamin C in the skin.

Due to MAP's stability up to a pH level of 7, it is more stable to air and sunlight exposure than ascorbic acid. The best pH range for MAP is between 5 and 6.

We don't have a description for Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract yet.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

This ingredient is also called sugarcane extract. It is a moisturizing humectant and has skin soothing properties.

Similar to hyaluronic acid, sugarcane can attract moisture to your skin.

Glycolic acid is a derivative of sugarcane. While glycolic acid is an AHA with exfoliating properties, sugarcane is not an AHA.

A study from 2021 found the compounds in sugarcane extract to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. The study also suggests these compounds can inhibit skin ageing enzymes and promote collagen synthesis.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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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