innisfree Bija Trouble Spot Essence Versus Summer Fridays Soft Reset AHA Exfoliating Solution

innisfree Bija Trouble Spot Essence Versus Summer Fridays Soft Reset AHA Exfoliating Solution

This acne treatment is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Madecassoside to clear breakouts and calm redness.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Cyclopentasiloxane

Alcohol

Glycerin

Cyclohexasiloxane

Torreya Nucifera Seed Oil

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether

Polysorbate 20

Propanediol

Salicylic Acid

Dimethicone

Dimethiconol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Potassium Hydroxide

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Madecassoside

Glyceryl Caprylate

Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract

Xanthan Gum

Disodium EDTA

Dextrin

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract

Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract

Beta-Glucan

Orchid Extract

Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Parfum

Water, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alcohol, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Torreya Nucifera Seed Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Polysorbate 20, Propanediol, Salicylic Acid, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Potassium Hydroxide, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Madecassoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Orchid Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum

Lactic Acid

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Glycolic Acid

Niacinamide

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Acer Saccharum Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Water, Lactic Acid, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Acer Saccharum Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ascorbyl Glucoside

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

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.

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!

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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