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The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) Toner Versus Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA +BHA Pore-Tight Toner

The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) Toner Versus Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA +BHA Pore-Tight Toner This smoothing toner is formulated around Gluconolactone and Niacinamide to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin. This pore-care toner is for

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

The INKEY List Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) Toner Versus Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA +BHA Pore-Tight Toner

This smoothing toner is formulated around Gluconolactone and Niacinamide to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

This pore-care toner is formulated around Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract and Gluconolactone to refine the look of pores and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Gluconolactone 3%

Niacinamide 3%

Pentylene Glycol

Glycerin

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

PPG-26-Buteth-26

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Propanediol, Gluconolactone 3%, Niacinamide 3%, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract

Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract

Hyaluronic Acid

Gluconolactone

Sodium Polyglutamate

Betaine Salicylate

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract

Lactobacillus/Watermelon Fruit Ferment Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract

Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract

Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract

Sorbitan Oleate

Levulinic Acid

Sodium Levulinate

Parfum

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium Polyglutamate, Betaine Salicylate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Lactobacillus/Watermelon Fruit Ferment Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Parfum

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.

Gluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.

When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.

PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.

Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:

In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.

This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.

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.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

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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. 10Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  11. 11Like 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.
  12. 12However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  13. 13Due 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.
  14. 14In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  15. 15While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  16. 16Most 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.
  17. 17Rosacea 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.
  18. 18However, 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…
  19. 19Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  20. 20Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
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