ZO Skin Health Complexion Clearing Masque Versus The INKEY List Kaolin Clay Mask

ZO Skin Health Complexion Clearing Masque Versus The INKEY List Kaolin Clay Mask

This wash off mask is formulated around Sulfur to clear breakouts.

This wash off mask is made with Kaolin for a rinse-off oil-control boost.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Kaolin

Sulfur

Glycerin

Bentonite

Propylene Glycol

Ethylene Brassylate

Caprylyl Glycol

Tetrasodium EDTA

Silica

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Chlorphenesin

Ultramarines

Water, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Kaolin, Sulfur, Glycerin, Bentonite, Propylene Glycol, Ethylene Brassylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Ultramarines

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Glyceryl Stearate

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Stearic Acid

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Cetearyl Alcohol

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Sodium Stearate

Sodium Magnesium Silicate

Dimethyl Sulfone

Centella Asiatica Extract

Glyceryl Caprylate

Decyl Glucoside

Cellulose Gum

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Cetyl Alcohol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Carbomer

Tocopherol

Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract

Sea Water Extract

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Lonicera Japonica Leaf Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Panthenol

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Geranium Maculatum Extract

Taraxacum Officinale Extract

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Spirulina Maxima Extract

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Water, Kaolin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Decyl Glucoside, Cellulose Gum, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Carbomer, Tocopherol, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Sea Water Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Lonicera Japonica Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

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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.

Kaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.

Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.

Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.

The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.

Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.

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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