Polishing Pads
The Barefaced Polishing Pads is a exfoliating scrubs & peeling gel. Our analysis of its 21 ingredients (16 low-risk) rates it Excellent (96/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin.
The Barefaced Polishing Pads is a exfoliating scrubs & peeling gel. Our analysis of its 21 ingredients (16 low-risk) rates it Excellent (96/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Water
(Solvent) |
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Glycolic Acid
(Exfoliant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
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Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
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Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
|
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Hamamelis Virginiana Water
(Astringent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Soothing) |
|
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Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract
(Fragrance, Masking, Skin Protecting) |
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Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
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Squalane
(Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Refatting, Skin Conditioning) |
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Phospholipids
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Succinic Acid
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking) |
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Menthol
(Denaturant, External Analgesic, Flavoring Agent, Fragrance, Oral Health Caredrug, Masking, Refreshing, Soothing) |
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Dry Skin
|
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Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous) |
|
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Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
|
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Ubiquinone
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Alcohol
(Antifoaming Agent, Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent, Viscosity Controlling) |
Bad for Dry Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
|
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Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking) |
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Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
|
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Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
(Antidandruff Agent, Antimicrobial) |
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TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning) |
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinyl Palmitate
OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.
Glycolic Acid
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
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