Clear & Even Tone Clarifying Glycolic Pads

Urban Skin

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Urban Skin Clear & Even Tone Clarifying Glycolic Pads is a exfoliating scrubs & peeling gel. Our analysis of its 33 ingredients (21 low-risk) rates it Excellent (92/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Exfoliating Scrubs & Peeling Gel
Ingredients
33
Low-risk
21
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 5/8
Good for dry skin
Gluconic Acid Glyceryl Oleate Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Glycerin Lactic Acid
Caution for dry skin
Glyceryl Oleate Decyl Glucoside Maltodextrin Glycerin Coco-glucoside Salicylic Acid Sodium Hydroxide Polysorbate 20
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 2/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Azelaic Acid Salicylic Acid
Sensitive Skin 3/13
Good for sensitive skin
Arbutin Kojic Acid Glycerin
Caution for sensitive skin
Gluconic Acid Glutathione Glyceryl Oleate Kojic Acid Azelaic Acid Glycerin Salicylic Acid Heterotheca Inuloides Flower Extract Citric Acid Sodium Benzoate Potassium Sorbate Lactic Acid Phenoxyethanol

Ingredients list

33 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (7)
All33 Skin Conditioning20 Fragrance15 Buffering Agent6 Solvent5 Ph Adjuster5 Humectant5 Masking5 Preservative4
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
4
B
Glycolic Acid
(Exfoliant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
4
B
Lactic Acid
(Exfoliant, Fragrance, Humectant, Ph Adjuster, Skin Conditioning Agent Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Buffering Agent)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Phytic Acid
(Chelating Agent, Oral Care Agent)
3
B
Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
4
B
Salicylic Acid
(Antiacne Agent, Antidandruff Agent, Corn/Callus/Wart Remover, Denaturant, Exfoliant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Keratolytic, Masking, Preservative)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Propanediol
(Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT
(Skin Conditioning)
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
1
Heterotheca Inuloides Flower Extract
(Fragrance, Masking)
Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
(Fragrance, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning)
6
7
B
Kojic Acid
(Antioxidant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
1
Arbutin
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
Glutathione
(Fragrance, Reducing)
1
A
Azelaic Acid
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous)
1
A
Maltodextrin
(Absorbent, Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Binding)
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
B
Decyl Glucoside
(Cleansing, Emulsion Stabilising, Surfactant)
B
Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate
(Light Stabilizer, Solvent, Surfactant Cleansing, Surfactant Emulsifying)
1
B
Coco-glucoside
(Cleansing, Foaming, Surfactant)
1
A
Glyceryl Oleate
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Perfuming)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
(Flavoring Agent, Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
2
A
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Gluconic Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Buffering Agent, Humectant, Solvent)
3
A
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking)
3
A
Potassium Sorbate
(Fragrance, Preservative)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

Glycolic Acid
Exfoliant
Lactic Acid
Exfoliant, Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Exfoliant, Skin Conditioning
CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT
Skin Conditioning
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Kojic Acid — higher EWG
May not suit dry skin
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Sodium Hydroxide
Denaturant, Ph adjuster
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B DenaturantPh adjusterBuffering agent
Phytic Acid
Chelating agent, Oral care agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Chelating agentOral care agent
Propanediol
Solvent, Viscosity decreasing agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 SolventViscosity decreasing agentViscosity controlling
CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragranceSkin conditioning
Heterotheca Inuloides Flower Extract
Fragrance, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceMasking
Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Fragrance, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragrancePerfumingSkin conditioning
Niacinamide
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSmoothing
Glutathione
Fragrance, Reducing
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceReducing
Azelaic Acid
Fragrance, Ph adjuster
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin conditioning, Skin conditioning miscellaneous
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin conditioning miscellaneous
Maltodextrin
Absorbent, Binding agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A AbsorbentBinding agentEmulsion stabilisingFilm formingHair conditioningSkin conditioningSuspending agent - nonsurfactantBinding
TOCOPHEROL
Antioxidant, Fragrance
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AntioxidantFragranceSkin conditioning
+ 8 more — see the full ingredients list above
Glycolic Acid
Exfoliant, Ph adjuster
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantPh adjusterBuffering agent Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Lactic Acid
Exfoliant, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantFragranceHumectantPh adjusterSkin-conditioning agent -humectantSkin conditioningBuffering agent Bad for Sensitive Skin
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Salicylic Acid
Antiacne agent, Antidandruff agent
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Antiacne agentAntidandruff agentCorn/callus/wart removerDenaturantExfoliantFragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningKeratolyticMaskingPreservative Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 6–7 CIR B Antioxidant Good for Dry Skin
Arbutin
Antioxidant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 AntioxidantSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Glyceryl Oleate
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningEmollientEmulsifyingSurfactantPerfuming Fungal-acne trigger
Citric Acid
Chelating agent, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A Chelating agentFragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking Bad for Sensitive Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening: Use at night — start 2–3× a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinyl Palmitate)

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.

Use with caution
BHA (salicylic) (Salicylic Acid)

Low-strength topical salicylic acid (BHA) is generally considered fine. Caution is usually reserved for high-strength leave-on products and salicylic peels.

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.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

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

Niacinamide 2–5% (up to 10%)

Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

BHA (salicylic) 0.5–2%

Salicylic acid is OTC-capped at 2%; 0.5–2% is the usual leave-on range. Much below that it acts more as a soothing agent than an exfoliant.

Salicylic Acid

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Glycolic Acid, Lactic 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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