All We Need To Know About Skincare Ingredients On A Label

Understanding what goes into your skincare matters more than most people realize. Recently, a customer asked why a Glycolic Gel she found online was so cheap, even though it claimed a high 10% concentration of glycolic acid. The answer? Purity.

Yes, the label said 10% glycolic acid, but that doesn’t mean 10% pure glycolic acid.

Let’s break this down.

The Truth About Glycolic Acid Percentages

Most over-the-counter (OTC) skincare products are made with gentler formulas.

Their pH is adjusted to be closer to the skin’s natural pH level (around 5.5–6), which reduces irritation.

That might sound good, but it also means they’re less potent.

Medical-grade products, on the other hand, use higher-purity active ingredients with a lower pH, so they work deeper and more effectively.

So, what does 10% glycolic mean in OTC?
In many cases, it means the glycolic acid is diluted or neutralized to reduce stinging.

The result? It meets safety standards but not necessarily efficacy standards.

Learning the Label Lesson, The Hard Way

That same customer also showed me a 50% glycolic acid peel she purchased at a major department store for $170.

She expected strong results, but felt almost nothing.

Why? Because what really matters is the free acid value, how much pure, unbuffered glycolic acid is actually available to act on the skin.

This is the difference with medical-grade skincare.

These products are more concentrated and formulated with care by licensed professionals.

They also come with clinical studies to back up their claims.

Reading the Black Label: Real Example

Let’s walk through the label of a popular OTC product.

Front Label Claims:

• "Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cleanser"

• "For Clear, Smooth Skin"

• 5.1 oz tube

Black Label Ingredients:

• Active: 0.5% Salicylic Acid

• Inactive: Water, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, Cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium cocoamphoacetate, glycol distearate, glycolic acid, sodium lactate, and others.

Here’s what that means:

Active Ingredient

• Salicylic Acid (0.5%): Fights acne. That’s the only active ingredient in this cleanser.

Inactive Ingredients (Key Highlights)

• Water: Most common base for skincare.

• Sodium methyl cocoyl taurate: A surfactant. Also known as ox bile (yes, it’s animal-derived).

• Cocamidopropyl betaine: Derived from coconut oil and beets; helps cleanse.

• Sodium cocoamphoacetate: Another surfactant that helps ingredients spread.

• Glycol distearate: Adds a creamy texture.

• Glycolic Acid: Appears far down the list = low concentration.

• Sodium Lactate: A buffered form of lactic acid; gentler but less effective.

Now let’s compare this to the X3 Refining Glycolic Gel from UFlawless.

What Makes UFlawless Different

Black Label Ingredients (Top positions matter!)

• Water

• Glycolic Acid

• Glycerin

• Sodium Hydroxide

• Lactobacillus Ferment

• Algae Extracts

• Guarana Seed Extract

• Mate Extract

• And more...

Key Takeaways:

• Glycolic acid appears at the top: This means it's in higher concentration and purer form.

• Formulated with natural ingredients like algae and guarana, which help hydrate and reduce inflammation.

• Medical-grade formulation: Means it’s developed for real results.

• Cruelty-free: No animal-derived ingredients like ox bile.

• No fragrance: Reduces risk of irritation.

And unlike the $170 department store product, our formulation costs less than half, and delivers results.

Quick Tips for Reading Skincare Labels

• Ingredients are listed in order of concentration. If the ingredient you want appears after fragrance, there’s barely any of it.

• Fragrance is usually less than 0.5% of a product. If your active ingredient is listed after it, it won’t be effective.

• "Acid" on a label means it's in its active, unbuffered form, which typically works better.

Price Isn’t the Full Story

An $8 product might sound appealing, but it often won’t deliver results.

You end up spending more time, energy, and money trying different products.

Transparency and real ingredients matter.

That’s why at UFlawless, we make our ingredient lists visible on the actual product, not just the box.

We believe you deserve to know what you’re putting on your skin.

When your skincare is made with science and honesty, your skin knows the difference.