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Origins Clear Improvement® Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores Versus Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask

Origins Clear Improvement® Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores Versus Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask This wash off mask is made with Kaolin and Bentonite for a rinse-off pore-care boost. This wash off mask is made with Niacinamide and Ceramide EOP for a rinse-off

Written by Peptide Therapy Guide Editorial Team
For education only

This guide cannot diagnose a condition or recommend a personal treatment plan. Discuss medical questions with a qualified professional.

Origins Clear Improvement® Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores Versus Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask

This wash off mask is made with Kaolin and Bentonite for a rinse-off pore-care boost.

This wash off mask is made with Niacinamide and Ceramide EOP for a rinse-off barrier-support boost.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Myrtus Communis Leaf Water

Kaolin

Bentonite

Butylene Glycol

Montmorillonite

Polysorbate 20

PEG-100 Stearate

Charcoal Powder

Xanthan Gum

Lecithin

PEG-150 Distearate

Propylene Glycol Stearate

Sorbitan Laurate

Glycerin

Propylene Glycol Laurate

Simethicone

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hexylene Glycol

Trisodium EDTA

Dehydroacetic Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Myrtus Communis Leaf Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Butylene Glycol, Montmorillonite, Polysorbate 20, PEG-100 Stearate, Charcoal Powder, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, PEG-150 Distearate, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Sorbitan Laurate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Simethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Diheptyl Succinate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cetearyl Alcohol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Niacinamide

Pentylene Glycol

Sorbitan Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Panthenol

Physalis Angulata Extract

Castanea Sativa Seed Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Phytosphingosine

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Cholesterol

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Carbomer

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diheptyl Succinate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Physalis Angulata Extract, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytosphingosine, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

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.

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.

PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

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!

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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About the author

Peptide Therapy Guide Editorial Team

Editorial team for Peptide Therapy Guide.

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