Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask Versus Paula's Choice Clear Purifying Clay Mask

Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask Versus Paula's Choice Clear Purifying Clay Mask

This wash off mask is made with Kaolin and Rosa Canina Fruit Oil for a rinse-off pore-care boost.

This wash off mask is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Stearic Acid

Glycerin

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Kaolin

Glyceryl Stearate

CI 77891

Triethanolamine

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Parfum

Chlorphenesin

Disodium EDTA

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

PEG-8

Iron Oxides

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Nicotiana Sylvestris Leaf Cell Culture

Ascorbic Acid

Citric Acid

Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract

Hexyl Cinnamal

Benzyl Benzoate

Linalool

Hydroxycitronellal

Cinnamyl Alcohol

Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Kaolin, Glyceryl Stearate, CI 77891, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, PEG-8, Iron Oxides, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Nicotiana Sylvestris Leaf Cell Culture, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Cinnamyl Alcohol

Salicylic Acid 0.5%

Bentonite

Titanium Dioxide

Butylene Glycol

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Cetyl Esters

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Illite

Tapioca Starch

Zea Mays Starch

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract

Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Epilobium Fleischeri Extract

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Brassica Campestris Seed Oil

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Zinc PCA

Copper PCA

Lauroyl Lysine

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Chloride

Salicylic Acid 0.5%, Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Esters, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Glycerin, Illite, Tapioca Starch, Zea Mays Starch, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Epilobium Fleischeri Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Zinc PCA, Copper PCA, Lauroyl Lysine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Kaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.

Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.

Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.

The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.

Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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!

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