Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel Versus Elemis Peptide4 Overnight Radiance Peel

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel Versus Elemis Peptide4 Overnight Radiance Peel

This wash off mask is made with Niacinamide and Papain for a rinse-off smoothing boost.

This smoothing overnight mask is formulated around Lactic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Octyldodecanol

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glycerin

C12-16 Alcohols

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Niacinamide

Xanthan Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Palmitic Acid

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Parfum

Papain

Chlorphenesin

Lactis Proteinum

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Disodium EDTA

Porphyridium Cruentum Extract

Cinnamyl Alcohol

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract

Tocopherol

Citronellol

Geraniol

Limonene

Citral

Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil

Cuminum Cyminum Seed Oil

Water, Propylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, C12-16 Alcohols, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Parfum, Papain, Chlorphenesin, Lactis Proteinum, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Disodium EDTA, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Citral, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Cuminum Cyminum Seed Oil

Lactic Acid

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Squalane

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil

Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil

Matthiola Longipetala Seed Oil

Ethylhexylglycerin

Magnesium Hydroxide

Benzyl Benzoate

Yeast Extract

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Linalool

T-Butyl Alcohol

Hexyl Cinnamal

Potassium Sorbate

Soy Amino Acids

Cananga Odorata Flower Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Myristica Fragrans Kernel Oil

Sodium Benzoate

Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein

Eugenol

Coumarin

Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil

Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil

Coriandrum Sativum Fruit Oil

Water, Lactic Acid, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Squalane, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Parfum, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Disodium EDTA, Matthiola Longipetala Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Hydroxide, Benzyl Benzoate, Yeast Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Linalool, Limonene, T-Butyl Alcohol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Potassium Sorbate, Soy Amino Acids, Xanthan Gum, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Myristica Fragrans Kernel Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Eugenol, Coumarin, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil, Coriandrum Sativum Fruit Oil, Tocopherol

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%.

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.

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.

When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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