e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant — Efficacy 2.7/5.0, Safety 3.8/5.0 | DemythSkin
++++
[ DemythSkin Verdict ]
e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant
e.l.f.

e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant

ExfoliantExfoliation
Efficacy
Weak
2.7 / 5.0
Safety
Mostly Safe
3.8 / 5.0
System Verdict
This is a very mild, mostly textural scrub with negligible true exfoliating power and unnecessary fragrance. The formula relies on microcrystalline cellulose and a conditioning polymer to create a peeling, scrubby feel rather than on well-studied acids at defined percentages and pH, so you get gentle surface polishing and some hydration from glycols and glycerin but little meaningful exfoliation or brightening benefit; soothing licorice derivative and papaya/tangerine extracts are present in a simple base but without clear, clinically optimized concentrations, and the added fragrance plus allergens drag down the overall merit for sensitive skin.
Active Ingredients Detected
A Tier: Good BasicsProven Results
Glycerin
B Tier: Supporting IngredientsPromising Ingredients
Quaternium-60Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
C Tier: Marketing IdolsHype | Limited or Weak Data
Carica Papaya (Papaya) Leaf ExtractCitrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Fruit Extract
D Tier: Potential IrritantsBe Cautious
Fragrance (Parfum)Benzyl SalicylateHexyl CinnamalLinalool
What Each Ingredient Does
Water (Aqua)
Solvent, formula base
Propylene Glycol
Humectant, solvent
Microcrystalline Cellulose
Physical exfoliant bead / scrub
Quaternium-60
Cationic polymer, film former
Butylene Glycol
Humectant, penetration helper
Carbomer
Gel thickener, texture agent
Glycerin
Hydrating humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Soothing licorice-derived agent
Carica Papaya (Papaya) Leaf Extract
Botanical extract, mild exfoliation
Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Fruit Extract
Botanical extract, antioxidant / scent
Caprylyl Glycol
Preservative booster, humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Preservative booster, humectant
Fragrance (Parfum)
Fragrance component
Benzyl Salicylate
Fragrance ingredient, UV absorber
Hexyl Cinnamal
Fragrance ingredient
Linalool
Fragrance ingredient
Full Ingredient List (INCI)

Water (Aqua) , Propylene Glycol , Microcrystalline Cellulose , Quaternium-60 , Butylene Glycol , Carbomer , Glycerin , Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate , Carica Papaya (Papaya) Leaf Extract , Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Fruit Extract , Caprylyl Glycol , Phenoxyethanol , Ethylhexylglycerin , Fragrance (Parfum) , Benzyl Salicylate , Hexyl Cinnamal , Linalool

Frequently Asked

Is e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant worth it?

e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant scores 2.7 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Weak) and 3.8 out of 5.0 for safety (Mostly Safe) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a very mild, mostly textural scrub with negligible true exfoliating power and unnecessary fragrance. The formula relies on microcrystalline cellulose and a conditioning polymer to create a peeling, scrubby feel r

What are the key active ingredients in e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant?

e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant contains no gold-standard actives — its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.

Does e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant contain fragrance or known irritants?

DemythSkin flags these ingredients in e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant as potential irritants: Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool. This product does contain fragrance.

How is e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Gentle Peeling Exfoliant scored?

DemythSkin grades every product on two independent axes: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are classified S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. No brand pays for a score.

Analyze on DemythSkin →

Analysis last updated: 2026-08-31. DemythSkin is an independent ingredient analyzer. Scores are computed by a deterministic rubric from published clinical evidence — no brand pays for a score.