Vitamins and Sea beauty Seaweed + Glycolic Acid Facial Toner Versus Versed On The Rise Firming Serum

Vitamins and Sea beauty Seaweed + Glycolic Acid Facial Toner Versus Versed On The Rise Firming Serum

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

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Resveratrol and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Propanediol

Glycolic Acid

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Algae Extract

PEG-12 Dimethicone

Polysorbate 20

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dehydroacetic Acid

Benzyl Alcohol

Sodium Hydroxide

Parfum

Chromium Hydroxide Green

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Algae Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Chromium Hydroxide Green

Propylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Resveratrol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Retinyl Palmitate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Tocopherol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Citric Acid

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Xanthan Gum

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Ceramide AP

1,2-Hexanediol

Carbomer

Sodium Metabisulfite

Sodium Lactate

Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Resveratrol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Sodium Metabisulfite, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lactate

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.

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.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

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.

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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