Wishful Yo Glow Facial Enzyme Scrub Versus Paula's Choice The Unscrub

Wishful Yo Glow Facial Enzyme Scrub Versus Paula's Choice The Unscrub

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Cellulose and Bromelain to refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cellulose

Butylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol

Alcohol

1,2-Hexanediol

Bromelain

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Papain

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

Citric Acid

Lactic Acid

Malic Acid

Salicylic Acid

Tartaric Acid

Glycolic Acid

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Glycerin

Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Acer Saccharum Extract

Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract

Citrus Paradisi Seed Extract

Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract

Mannitol

Psidium Guajava Leaf Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Gluconolactone

Polysorbate 20

Carbomer

Tromethamine

Propanediol

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Parfum

Water, Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bromelain, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Papain, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Glycerin, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Citrus Paradisi Seed Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Mannitol, Psidium Guajava Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum

Jojoba Esters

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Decyl Glucoside

PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether

Glyceryl Stearate

Stearyl Alcohol

Polyacrylamide

Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Xanthan Gum

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Caprylyl Glycol

Laureth-7

Water, Jojoba Esters, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Decyl Glucoside, PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like 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.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due 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.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most 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.

Rosacea 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.

However, 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 skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

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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