Balance Active Formula Vitamin C Liquid Gel Peel

Can it work? Irritants Ingredient list Sources Similar products Q&A Price comparison

WORKS FOR

Evens skin tone
Anti-aging
Exfoliation
Moisturizing

KEY INGREDIENTS

3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid
glycolic acid
betaine
glycerin
glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer
saccharum officinarum extract
+2 more

IRRITANCY

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Price comparison

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£5.99

In stock

Vitamin C Liquid Gel Peel

£7.49

In stock

Vitamin C Liquid Gel Peel

Can the product deliver on its promises?

See a mistake?

Promise

What does the product description say?

"Balance Active Formula Vitamin C Gel Peel contains Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a stable form of Vitamin C, and is paired with 3% Natural Fruit Acid solution and 2% Glycolic Acid,. . ."

Creightons

WIMJ summary for evens skin tone

This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: glycolic acid

Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
glycolic acid	HIGH
3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid	MEDIUM

See a mistake?

WIMJ summary for anti-aging

This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains glycolic acid.

Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
glycolic acid	HIGH
3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid	LOW

See a mistake?

WIMJ summary for exfoliation

This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: glycolic acid.

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
glycolic acid	HIGH

See a mistake?

WIMJ summary for moisturizing

This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": betaine, glycerin.

When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
betaine	HIGH
glycerin	HIGH
glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer	HIGH

How honest is this product?

Promise	Can it deliver?
Evens skin tone

Total Promises Fulfilled score: 100/100.

Potential irritants

IRRITANCY

HIGH

Ingredient	Irritancy	Skin Benefit
propylene glycol
glycolic acid
vaccinium myrtillus fruit extract

Ingredients by volume

Ingredient	Estimated concentration
water Plain old water	40% - 60%
glycerin One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant	3.8% - 5.7%
propylene glycol Helps oil and water mix together and can enhance the penetration of other ingredients into the skin. It can be irritating	3.4% - 5.2%
glycolic acid An alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps to remove the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin reveling a more even, smoother complexation. It is also able to stimulate collagen production with long-term use. Could help to reduce pore congestion. It can be irritating to the skin. Apply sunscreen daily if using products with glycolic acid	2.7% - 4%
polysorbate 20 Helps oil and water mix together	1.9% - 2.9%
vaccinium myrtillus fruit extract A plant extract that might help neutralize free radicals in skin, but research on its efficacy in skin is lacking	1.5% - 2.3%
phenoxyethanol A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products	0.5% - 1%
sodium hydroxide Used to adjust the product's pH	1.1% - 1.7%
amorphophallus konjac root extract	0.95% - 1.4%
hydroxyacetophenone Used to increase effectiveness of preservatives	0.6% - 1.4%
saccharum officinarum extract Sugar extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin	0.45% - 1.1%
parfum An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients	0.35% - 0.85%
3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid A vitamin C derivative that is more stable but less potent than pure form of vitamin C. Can help neutralize free radicals and help reduce hyperpigmentation, but the required concentration is likely to be much higher than for the pure form of vitamin C, limiting the ingredient's effectiveness in products	0.35% - 0.75%
betaine Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improves the product texture	0.2% - 0.75%
tetrasodium glutamate diacetate Helps stabilize the product formulation	0.15% - 0.55%
carrageenan Helps thicken the product formula and create a nice product formulation	0.15% - 0.5%
citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extract A plant extract that is used as a fragrance. Can be irritating and lead to photosensitivity	0.05% - 0.3%
citrus limon fruit extract Used as a fragrance. Can be irritating and cause photosensitivity	0.05% - 0.2%
glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and provide a longer-lasting hydration. Can create a thicker product consistency	0.05% - 0.15%
acer saccharum extract A plant extract that contains small percentage of AHAs. Is unlikely to have any skin benefit due the small concentration of the active compounds	0.01% - 0.1%
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Price
WIMJ similarity score		59%	59%	55%	55%	53%	51%	51%	49%	49%	49%
Key ingredients	3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid glycolic acid +4 more	Common: 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid glycolic acid +2 more Other: ferulic acid gluconolactone +9 more	Common: 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid glycolic acid +1 more Other: salicylic acid lactic acid +1 more	Common: glycolic acid 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid +1 more Other: salicylic acid lactic acid +2 more	Common: 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid glycolic acid +1 more Other: niacinamide gluconolactone +1 more	Common: 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid glycolic acid +1 more Other: panthenol dipotassium glycyrrhizate +1 more	Common: glycolic acid glycerin +1 more Other: salicylic acid biosaccharide gum-1 +1 more	Common: glycolic acid betaine +1 more Other:	Common: glycolic acid 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid +1 more Other: lactic acid polyglutamic acid +2 more	Common: 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid glycolic acid Other: salicylic acid lactic acid +2 more	Common: glycolic acid betaine +2 more Other: allantoin
Irritancy	IRRITANCY HIGH	IRRITANCY MEDIUM	IRRITANCY MEDIUM	IRRITANCY MEDIUM	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY MEDIUM	IRRITANCY LOW	IRRITANCY HIGH	IRRITANCY HIGH	IRRITANCY HIGH
Potential Irritants	citrus limon fruit extract Has skin benefit? citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extract Has skin benefit? 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid Has skin benefit? parfum Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? propylene glycol Has skin benefit? acer saccharum extract Has skin benefit? glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer Has skin benefit? carrageenan Has skin benefit? hydroxyacetophenone Has skin benefit? vaccinium myrtillus fruit extract Has skin benefit? +9 more	benzyl alcohol Has skin benefit? citrus limon fruit extract Has skin benefit? citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extract Has skin benefit? 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? astaxanthin Has skin benefit? hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine Has skin benefit? potassium sorbate Has skin benefit? caprylic/capric triglyceride Has skin benefit? polysorbate 60 Has skin benefit? tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate Has skin benefit? diethylhexyl syringylidenemalonate Has skin benefit? hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer Has skin benefit? polyester-8 Has skin benefit? ethylhexyl methoxycrylene Has skin benefit? pentylene glycol Has skin benefit? acer saccharum extract Has skin benefit? tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate Has skin benefit? 1,2-hexanediol Has skin benefit? peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil Has skin benefit? ppg-26-buteth-26 Has skin benefit? vaccinium myrtillus fruit extract Has skin benefit? gluconolactone Has skin benefit? +21 more	melissa officinalis leaf extract Has skin benefit? salicylic acid Has skin benefit? parfum Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid Has skin benefit? citric acid Has skin benefit? pentylene glycol Has skin benefit? lactic acid Has skin benefit? +6 more	melissa officinalis leaf extract Has skin benefit? salicylic acid Has skin benefit? parfum Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid Has skin benefit? citric acid Has skin benefit? hordeum vulgare extract Has skin benefit? pentylene glycol Has skin benefit? lactic acid Has skin benefit? +7 more	3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? caprylhydroxamic acid Has skin benefit? caprylyl glycol Has skin benefit? gluconolactone Has skin benefit? +3 more	glycolic acid Has skin benefit? 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid Has skin benefit? lactic acid Has skin benefit? rubus idaeus fruit extract Has skin benefit? 1,2-hexanediol Has skin benefit? vaccinium angustifolium fruit extract Has skin benefit? +4 more	citrus limon fruit extract Has skin benefit? citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extract Has skin benefit? salix alba bark extract Has skin benefit? hippophae rhamnoides fruit oil Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? salicylic acid Has skin benefit? phytic acid Has skin benefit? leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate Has skin benefit? ethylhexylglycerin Has skin benefit? acer saccharum extract Has skin benefit? vaccinium myrtillus fruit extract Has skin benefit? caprylyl/capryl glucoside Has skin benefit? pyrus malus fruit extract Has skin benefit? +11 more	glycolic acid Has skin benefit? pentylene glycol Has skin benefit?	limonene Has skin benefit? citral Has skin benefit? parfum Has skin benefit? dmdm hydantoin Has skin benefit? 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? cocamidopropyl betaine Has skin benefit? 1,2-hexanediol Has skin benefit? brassica oleracea italica extract Has skin benefit? brassica oleracea capitata leaf extract Has skin benefit? sodium lauroyl sarcosinate Has skin benefit? lactic acid Has skin benefit? disodium cocoamphodiacetate Has skin benefit? +11 more	limonene Has skin benefit? citral Has skin benefit? alcohol denat. Has skin benefit? parfum Has skin benefit? salicylic acid Has skin benefit? 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid Has skin benefit? citrus sinensis fruit extract Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? propylene glycol Has skin benefit? punica granatum extract Has skin benefit? sodium sulfite Has skin benefit? vitis vinifera fruit extract Has skin benefit? ananas sativus fruit extract Has skin benefit? ethylhexylglycerin Has skin benefit? disodium edta Has skin benefit? lactic acid Has skin benefit? sodium lactate Has skin benefit? +15 more	eugenol Has skin benefit? coumarin Has skin benefit? geraniol Has skin benefit? citronellol Has skin benefit? linalool Has skin benefit? sapindus mukorossi fruit extract Has skin benefit? citrus limon fruit extract Has skin benefit? citrus aurantium dulcis fruit extract Has skin benefit? actinidia chinensis fruit extract Has skin benefit? hamamelis virginiana water Has skin benefit? parfum Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? caesalpinia spinosa gum Has skin benefit? acer saccharum extract Has skin benefit? potassium sorbate Has skin benefit? vaccinium myrtillus fruit extract Has skin benefit? ethylhexylglycerin Has skin benefit? +15 more
All ingredients	water Has skin benefit? glycerin Has skin benefit? +18 more	unknown Has skin benefit? water Has skin benefit? +48 more	water Has skin benefit? arginine Has skin benefit? +17 more	water Has skin benefit? arginine Has skin benefit? +18 more	water Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? +10 more	vaccinium angustifolium fruit extract Has skin benefit? water Has skin benefit? +11 more	salicylic acid Has skin benefit? pyrus malus fruit extract Has skin benefit? +29 more	water Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? +5 more	water Has skin benefit? cocamidopropyl betaine Has skin benefit? +31 more	water Has skin benefit? propylene glycol Has skin benefit? +19 more	water Has skin benefit? glycolic acid Has skin benefit? +27 more