First Aid Beauty Deep Cleanser With Red Clay Versus Kiehl's Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash

First Aid Beauty Deep Cleanser With Red Clay Versus Kiehl's Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash

This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Glycerin

Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer

PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

Dipropylene Glycol

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Bisabolol

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Allantoin

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Panthenol

Illite

Caprylyl Glycol

Potassium Hydroxide

Disodium EDTA

Mica

Tetrasodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

CI 77491

Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Dipropylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Bisabolol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Illite, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Mica, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77491

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

Propylene Glycol

Coco-Betaine

Tea-Lauryl Sulfate

Triethanolamine

Coco-Glucoside

Decyl Glucoside

Parfum

Chlorphenesin

Benzophenone-3

Sodium Chloride

Zea Mays Germ Oil

Caffeine

Menthol

Limonene

Polyquaternium-39

Tocopherol

Benzoic Acid

Ammonium Sulfate

Citric Acid

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Castanea Sativa Seed Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Juice

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Ethylhexylglycerin

CI 42090

CI 14700

Water, Glycerin, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Coco-Betaine, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Tea-Lauryl Sulfate, Triethanolamine, Coco-Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Decyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Benzophenone-3, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Zea Mays Germ Oil, Caffeine, Menthol, Limonene, Polyquaternium-39, Tocopherol, Benzoic Acid, Ammonium Sulfate, Citric Acid, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Juice, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 42090, CI 14700

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.

As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.

It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.

A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.

We don't have a description for Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer yet.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

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.

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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