paulas-choice Paula's Choice Pore Clarifying Charcoal Gel Mask
paulas-choice Paula's Choice Pore Clarifying Charcoal Gel Mask lists 23 ingredients on its label, 23 decoded. See what each one does, its irritancy and comedogenic tendency, and its status in national inventories.
Ingredients overview
Label order. Colour is our internal rating: green routine, yellow restricted or worth a look, red prohibited or high-risk, grey not yet decoded.
Ingredients are listed in label order; the order reflects the label only, not exact concentrations.
- Aqua
- Tapioca Starch
- Glycerin
- Decyl Glucoside
- Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
- Butylene Glycol
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
- Bentonite
- Kaolin
- Charcoal Powder
- Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract
- Bisabolol
- Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
- Lactic Acid
- Xanthan Gum
- Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
- C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
- Iron Oxides
- Phenoxyethanol
- Caprylyl Glycol
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Hexylene Glycol
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of fragranceFree of parabensFree of siliconesFree of sulfatesFree of mineral oilFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasers
Key ingredients
- SOLVENT
- Aqua
- VISCOSITY CONTROLLING
- Tapioca StarchAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
- DENATURANT
- Glycerin
- CLEANSING
- Decyl Glucoside
- ANTISTATIC
- Sodium Lauroyl SarcosinateCocamidopropyl Betaine
- HUMECTANT
- Butylene Glycol
Other ingredients
BentoniteKaolinCharcoal PowderBoerhavia Diffusa Root ExtractBisabololEpilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem ExtractLactic AcidXanthan GumIsopropyl Titanium TriisostearateC12-15 Alkyl BenzoateIron OxidesPhenoxyethanolCaprylyl GlycolEthylhexylglycerinHexylene Glycol
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua | SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Tapioca Starch | VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 2 | Green |
| Glycerin | DENATURANT, HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, ORAL CARE, SKIN PROTECTING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Decyl Glucoside | CLEANSING, EMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate | ANTISTATIC, CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, FOAMING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · – | Green |
| Butylene Glycol | HUMECTANT, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine | ANTISTATIC, CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer | VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Bentonite | ABSORBENT, BULKING, EMULSION STABILISING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING · 限制 IV/119 | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Kaolin | ABRASIVE, ABSORBENT, ANTICAKING, BULKING, COLORANT, OPACIFYING · 限制 IV/119 | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Charcoal Powder | ABRASIVE, ABSORBENT, OPACIFYING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract | SKIN PROTECTING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Bisabolol | FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING, SOOTHING | 0 · – | Green |
| Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract | SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · – | Green |
| Lactic Acid | BUFFERING, HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Xanthan Gum | BINDING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, GEL FORMING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate | ANTIMICROBIAL, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 2 | Green |
| Iron Oxides | 着色剂 | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Phenoxyethanol | ANTIMICROBIAL, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/29 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Caprylyl Glycol | DEODORANT, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | DEODORANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Hexylene Glycol | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SOLVENT, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, PERFUMING | 1 · 0 | Green |
Ingredients explained
- Aqua
- Solvent, main base; microbial control is critical
- Tapioca Starch
- Tapioca starch; powder thickener/oil absorbent; inert, mild comed risk at high conc
- Glycerin
- Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives
- Decyl Glucoside
- Mild alkyl glucoside, biodegradable; foam stabilizer, thickens with fatty alcohols, low allergenicity.
- Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
- Mild anionic surfactant for cleansing and emulsification; 1-5%, suitable for sensitive skin
- Butylene Glycol
- Polyol humectant and solvent at 1–5%; aids solubilization, light feel
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Cocamidopropyl betaine; zwitterionic co-surfactant reducing irritation and boosting foam, common in mild cleansers.
- Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
- Cationic polymer providing suspension, thickening, and conditioning; often paired with anionic thickening systems, low usage, imparts slip.
- Bentonite
- Natural clay for oil absorption in masks or thickening; no allergenicity, ensure high purity batches
- Kaolin
- Kaolin absorbent and bulk for powders/masks; check for heavy metals and comply with EU colorant limits IV/119
- Charcoal Powder
- Charcoal; adsorbs impurities/oil for cleansers, provides opacity, can be drying or matte.
- Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract
- Boerhavia diffusa root extract; saponin-rich, 0.1–0.5% for skin repair, patch test, water phase
- Bisabolol
- Soothing and anti-inflammatory agent, 0.01–0.1%; low irritation, good for sensitive skin.
- Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
- Botanical extract used as a skin conditioning agent
- Lactic Acid
- AHA pH adjuster at 0.5-5%; exfoliation/humectancy, mild at low conc., irritating at high, avoid conflict with alkaline preservatives.
- Xanthan Gum
- Natural thickener at 0.1–1%; provides gel texture, pH-stable, requires full hydration
- Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
- Titanium isostearate complex for UVB absorption and emulsification aid; photostable, low irritancy, low comedogenicity.
- C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
- C12-15 alkyl benzoate; emollient, emulsifier, and antistatic; aids stability and smoothness, moderate low comedogenicity.
- Iron Oxides
- Inorganic pigment for color; particulate form, inhalation risk low in cosmetics.
- Phenoxyethanol
- Broad-spectrum preservative at ≤1%; may irritate sensitive eye areas, often paired with ethylhexylglycerin
- Caprylyl Glycol
- Polyol conditioner and preservative booster at 0.5–3%; emollient feel, often paired with 1,2-hexanediol
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Mild conditioner and preservative booster at 0.5–1%; reduces preservative load, smooth feel
- Hexylene Glycol
- Polyol solvent and humectant with penetration enhancement; limit concentration to avoid irritation, no specific allergen tag
Source: full ingredient list published on the product label, collected 2026-09-19. Ratings are our internal reading, not a regulatory conclusion. · Product page
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