Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel Versus The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel Versus The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser

This mandelic acid gel cleanser is formulated around Mandelic Acid to exfoliate and smooth skin.

This cream 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

Glycerin

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate

Propanediol

Sodium Cocoamphoacetate

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

Disteareth-75 Ipdi

Glycereth-7 Caprylate/Caprate

Sodium Chloride

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Mandelic Acid

Glycolic Acid

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Phytic Acid

Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate

Citric Acid

Farnesol

Barosma Betulina Leaf Extract

Sodium PCA

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tremella Fuciformis Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Bisabolol

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Butylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Alcohol

Sodium Phytate

Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract

Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract

Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate

PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Sodium Hydroxide

Benzoic Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Propanediol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Disteareth-75 Ipdi, Glycereth-7 Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Chloride, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Mandelic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Phytic Acid, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Citric Acid, Farnesol, Barosma Betulina Leaf Extract, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Bisabolol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol

Coco-Glucoside

Betaine

Cetearyl Alcohol

Stearic Acid

Benzyl Alcohol

Xanthan Gum

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Inulin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dehydroacetic Acid

Polyquaternium-10

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Lecithin

Water, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Inulin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin

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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.

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.

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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.

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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