Works for:
based on ingredients and %- Moisturizing
- Evens skin tone
Doesn't work for:
based on ingredients and %- Exfoliation
Can it cause trouble?
- Irritation risk: high
- Comedogenic risk ingredients: 0
Key actives
Product Summary
"ZO Skin Health - Exfoliating Polish" is effective for: Moisturizing
This product could be helpful for: Evens skin tone, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
Ingredient callouts
- this product includes a form of Retinoids (vitamin A) - retinyl palmitate 0.15% - 0.65%, but this type of vitamin A is not very effective. It could in theory help with fine lines and wrinkles, but the effect is most likely minimal.
- Another helpful ingredient in this product is Linoleic Acid. It is one of the fatty acids naturally present in skin. It is part of the skin barrier. Preliminary research shows that it might be able to reduce clogged pores.
- Humectants (glycerin 2.80% - 4.20%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.
Price
The product retails for 54.99£ in the United Kingdom and for 68.00$ in the United States.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Moisturizing
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
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. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin, butylene glycol.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: glycine soja sterols, glyceryl stearate.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: paraffinum liquidum
Mineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
An emollient that helps soften the skin
Emollients that are naturaly present in skin. In addition, they help water and oil mix together in the product
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and improve the product texture
A fatty acid derived from licorice. Works as an emollient and can help calm down inflammation
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
An emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together
Used to create a nice product consistency
An excellent emollient. Helps soften the skin, restore its barrier function, and can help to calm down inflammation. It can be helpful to prevent blemishes and clogged pores
A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin
Evens skin tone
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually works: stearyl glycyrrhetinate.
A fatty acid derived from licorice. Works as an emollient and can help calm down inflammation
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.
Three steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. To have an effect in the skin, it first needs to be converted twice to become the retinoic acid. This means it is less potent than retinol, but could also be less irritating. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, it helps against all signs of aging, improves skin cell turnover and helps fight blemishes and clogged pores. However, in many cosmetic formulations, it is used in a concentration that is too low to have the full effect
Exfoliation
What does the product description say?
Exfoliating Polish
Source: From product name
This product does not contain effective exfoliating ingredients. It might be able to deliver physical exfoliation, that is scrub off some of the dead cells on the surface of the skin. We do not recommend physical exfoliation, because it is not uniform (some bits of skin can get exfoliated too much while others not at all). It can also traumatize the skin and aggrevate acne and other skin conditions.
Three steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. To have an effect in the skin, it first needs to be converted twice to become the retinoic acid. This means it is less potent than retinol, but could also be less irritating. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, it helps against all signs of aging, improves skin cell turnover and helps fight blemishes and clogged pores. However, in many cosmetic formulations, it is used in a concentration that is too low to have the full effect
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Exfoliation |
Total Promises Fulfilled score: 0/100.
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Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
No comedogenic ingredients detected
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Key Actives
Three steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. To have an effect in the skin, it first needs to be converted twice to become the retinoic acid. This means it is less potent than retinol, but could also be less irritating. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, it helps against all signs of aging, improves skin cell turnover and helps fight blemishes and clogged pores. However, in many cosmetic formulations, it is used in a concentration that is too low to have the full effect
A fatty acid derived from licorice. Works as an emollient and can help calm down inflammation
An excellent emollient. Helps soften the skin, restore its barrier function, and can help to calm down inflammation. It can be helpful to prevent blemishes and clogged pores
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
Mineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function
An emollient that helps soften the skin
A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin
Potential irritants
An essential oil that can be irritating. Has some anti-bacterial properties
An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients
A common frangrance that can easily irritate skin, especially if exposed to air, light or heat
Three steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. To have an effect in the skin, it first needs to be converted twice to become the retinoic acid. This means it is less potent than retinol, but could also be less irritating. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, it helps against all signs of aging, improves skin cell turnover and helps fight blemishes and clogged pores. However, in many cosmetic formulations, it is used in a concentration that is too low to have the full effect
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable and can penetrate the skin better than L-Ascorbic acid. It is effective in protecting the skin from free radicals, as well as evening the skin tone, but is less effective in stimulating collagen production compared to L-Ascorbic acid.
A fatty acid derived from licorice. Works as an emollient and can help calm down inflammation
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.
A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin
Comedogenic ingredients
We couldn't find any comedogenic ingredients in this product
All ingredients
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and improve the product texture
An emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together
Helps oil and water mix togehter and creates a nice product texture
Mineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
An essential oil that can be irritating. Has some anti-bacterial properties
An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients
A common frangrance that can easily irritate skin, especially if exposed to air, light or heat
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable and can penetrate the skin better than L-Ascorbic acid. It is effective in protecting the skin from free radicals, as well as evening the skin tone, but is less effective in stimulating collagen production compared to L-Ascorbic acid.
Three steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. To have an effect in the skin, it first needs to be converted twice to become the retinoic acid. This means it is less potent than retinol, but could also be less irritating. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, it helps against all signs of aging, improves skin cell turnover and helps fight blemishes and clogged pores. However, in many cosmetic formulations, it is used in a concentration that is too low to have the full effect
A fatty acid derived from licorice. Works as an emollient and can help calm down inflammation
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective. It might be able to help reduce pore clogging.
A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin
An excellent emollient. Helps soften the skin, restore its barrier function, and can help to calm down inflammation. It can be helpful to prevent blemishes and clogged pores
Emollients that are naturaly present in skin. In addition, they help water and oil mix together in the product
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
Ingredient list view
Peg-8, Sodium bicarbonate, Magnesium oxide, Ethoxydiglycol, Glycerin, Butylene glycol, Oleth-20, Trihydroxystearin, Glyceryl stearate, Peg-100 stearate, Paraffinum liquidum, Water, Tocopheryl acetate, Melaleuca alternifolia leaf oil, Glycine soja sterols, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Ascorbyl palmitate, Retinyl palmitate, Stearyl glycyrrhetinate, Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Linoleic acid, Phospholipids, Phenoxyethanol, Unknown, Ci 61565
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- A review on the extensive skin benefits of mineral oil
- Double-blind, half-face study comparing topical vitamin C and vehicle for rejuvenation of photodamage
- Application of tetra-isopalmitoyl ascorbic acid in cosmetic formulations: Stability studies and in vivo efficacy
- The Permeability Barrier in Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency: Evidence for a Direct Role for Linoleic Acid in Barrier Function
- Digital image analysis of the effect of topically applied linoleic acid on acne microcomedones.