I made a quick trip to TJ Maxx a few days ago, and one of the first things that I always do is peruse the skincare section. In case you haven’t noticed (lol!), I love skincare products. Love. I believe in taking good care of your skin! And sometimes TJ Maxx has skincare products that I know and love, while introducing me to brands that I may not have been aware of had I not taken a trip down the aisle. This trip introduced me to a brand called Measurable Difference (or MD Measurable Difference). I picked up a 1 oz bottle of the Glycolic Acid product, because glycolic acid products work well with my skin and you know I love exfoliation, and I’m always looking for new products to try. I tried it for a few days, and it worked beautifully in that short time period. I actually felt a difference overnight with regard to the smoothness of my skin. It felt pretty buttery, which is one of the key things that I always aim for with skincare/body care. I was feeling really good about this product, until I read the ingredients.
*sigh*
Every product that I’ve ever used on my face or body that had glycolic acid as an ingredient has had the percentage of glycolic acid involved written somewhere on the product. Whether it’s 2%, 5%, 8.8% or beyond, the percentage is always there.
Not this time.
As a matter of fact, outside of saying “Glycolic Acid” on the front of the bottle, this ingredient is nowhere to be found. It’s certainly not in the list of ingredients. I checked. Multiple times.
Ingredients list:
Hydrofluorocarbon 152A, Alcohol Denat, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate (anti-caking agent), Fragrance, Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate.
So, my question is…did the company include glycolic acid and neglect to put it in the ingredients list, or is it actually not in the product at all? Because if that’s the case, well, misleading doesn’t even begin to cover it. Interestingly enough, this product (along with the lactic acid, hyaluronic acid and a few other products in the same type of bottle) are nowhere to be found on the Measurable Difference website. I found a cached version of the lactic acid one, so I know that they did in fact sell it at one point in time. Also, information of any sort about the glycolic acid product is few and far between. I found a couple of websites that sell or have sold it, but no real conversation on the subject. Maybe the presumed lack of glycolic acid is the reason that it isn’t sold anymore, and why it’s hard to get any info on it.
Will I continue to use this product? Maybe, because 1) I paid for it, and 2) my skin responds well to it. Will I buy it or any other Measurable Difference product again? No, because I don’t trust that what’s written on the front of the label is actually in the product. And if I can’t trust what’s on the front of the label, I probably can’t trust what’s written on the back of it either. I normally read the ingredients list on everything before I buy it, but I neglected to do so this time. Shame on me. Honestly, if anyone has an answer as to why the glycolic acid is missing from the ingredients list, please let me know, because at this point, I can only go with what I see.
*Product mentioned above was sealed when I bought it, which is kind of important when buying skincare (and other!) products from these types of stores. Saving money is great, but not at the cost of your skin. Buy wisely! 🙂
Relax, I've Had Coffee. 