Nø Cosmetics Liquid Balancer Versus Balea Beauty Expert Calming Toner

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Balancer Versus Balea Beauty Expert Calming Toner

This barrier-repair toner is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

This barrier-repair toner is formulated around Arginine and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Pentylene Glycol

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment

Inulin

Fructooligosaccharides

Beta Vulgaris Root Extract

Maltodextrin

Lactobacillus Ferment

Fructose

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Avena Sativa Leaf Extract

Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate

Cellulose

Cellulose Gum

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Xanthan Gum

Lactic Acid

Potassium Lactate

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Inulin, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Maltodextrin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Fructose, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Avena Sativa Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Cellulose, Cellulose Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Potassium Lactate, Sodium Hydroxide

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Dicaprylyl Ether

Arginine

Sucrose Stearate

Ceramide NP

Phenoxyethanol

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tocopherol

Water, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Arginine, Citric Acid, Sucrose Stearate, Ceramide NP, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cellulose Gum, Tocopherol

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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.

Cellulose Gum is a water-soluble polymer that comes from cellulose. It is used to change the texture of a product and to help stabilize emulsions.

As an emulsifier, cellulose gum specifically thicken the texture of water-based products.

This ingredient is considered hypoallergenic and non-toxic. Cellulose Gum can be found in cosmetics, food, and other household goods such as paper products.

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.

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.

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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