Barr Centella Calming Gel Cleanser Versus The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser

Barr Centella Calming Gel Cleanser Versus The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser

This gel cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Lauryl Betaine

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate

Glycerin

Sodium Chloride

1,2-Hexanediol

Cocamide Mipa

Gluconolactone

Caprylyl Glycol

Propylene Glycol Laurate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Allantoin

Disodium EDTA

Citric Acid

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Xanthan Gum

Butylene Glycol

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Centella Asiatica Extract

Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Ceramide NP

Sodium Hyaluronate

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Lauryl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cocamide Mipa, Gluconolactone, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate

Coco-Glucoside

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Peat

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate

PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Dehydroacetic Acid

Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peat, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Disodium EDTA, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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