ZO Skin Health Calming Toner Versus PCA Skin Hydrating Toner

ZO Skin Health Calming Toner Versus PCA Skin Hydrating Toner

This calming toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Allantoin to calm redness and refine skin texture.

This hydrating toner is formulated around Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract

Polysorbate 80

Glycolic Acid

Allantoin

Sodium PCA

Menthoxypropanediol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Disodium EDTA

Panthenol

Xanthan Gum

Parfum

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Benzyl Salicylate

Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde

Citronellol

Eugenol

Sodium Hydroxide

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Polysorbate 80, Glycolic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium PCA, Menthoxypropanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citronellol, Eugenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Glycerin

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Polysorbate 20

Propanediol

Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract

Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract

Oenothera Biennis Root Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Sodium Lactate

Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf/Stem Extract

Citric Acid

Sodium Carrageenan

Jania Rubens Extract

Ascorbic Acid

Water, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Propanediol, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Oenothera Biennis Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Sodium Lactate, Disodium EDTA, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium PCA, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Carrageenan, Jania Rubens Extract, Ascorbic Acid

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

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.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Sodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.

Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.

As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.

There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.

Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.

It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.

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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