Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser Versus Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Cleanser

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser Versus Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Cleanser This mild cream cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. This mild cream cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry. What's

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser Versus Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Cleanser

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

This mild cream cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Glycerin

Stearic Acid

Hydrogenated Coconut Acid

Sodium Isethionate

Stearyl Alcohol

Allantoin

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Tocopherol

Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate

Phenoxyethanol

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate

Sodium PCA

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

Coco-Glucoside

Glyceryl Oleate

Sodium Chloride

Disodium EDTA

Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Maltodextrin

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Stearyl Alcohol, Allantoin, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium PCA, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Maltodextrin, Tetrasodium EDTA

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate

Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer

Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate

Ceramide NP

Phytosterols

Palmitic Acid

Hydrolyzed Cottonseed Protein

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Xanthan Gum

Dimethicone

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

C12-13 Pareth-3

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Caprylyl Glycol

Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil

Citrus Reticulata Leaf Oil

Myristic Acid

Trideceth-12

Jasminum Officinale Oil

Linoleic Acid

Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil

Cananga Odorata Flower Oil

Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Cymbopogon Martini Oil

Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil

Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil

Salvia Sclarea Oil

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Decyl Glucoside

Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil

Guaiacum Officinale Wood Oil

Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

Zingiber Officinale Root Oil

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Humulus Lupulus Extract

Pinus Sylvestris Cone Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Hexylene Glycol

Linolenic Acid

Pentylene Glycol

Aminomethyl Propanol

Propanediol

Butylene Glycol

Polysilicone-11

Sodium Hydroxide

Ethylhexylglycerin

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

PEG-12 Dimethicone

Limonene

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate, Ceramide NP, Phytosterols, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, Hydrolyzed Cottonseed Protein, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, C12-13 Pareth-3, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata Leaf Oil, Myristic Acid, Trideceth-12, Jasminum Officinale Oil, Linoleic Acid, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, Guaiacum Officinale Wood Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Disodium EDTA, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Pinus Sylvestris Cone Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Linolenic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Isethionate, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

Hydrogenated Coconut Acid isn't fungal acne safe.

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.

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.

You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.

Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.

The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.

This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.

This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.

We don't have a description for Sodium Isethionate yet.

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.

In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:

Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 031,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
  4. 04It is a:
  5. 05Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  6. 06Emollient, helping to soften skin
  7. 07Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  8. 08Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
  9. 09Arachidyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol made from the the arachidic acid found in peanut oil.
  10. 10Despite having "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethanol.
  11. 11This ingredient is a multitasker:
  12. 12Just be sure to patch this ingredient if you have a peanut allergy (though this ingredient is highly processed and the allergenic proteins are typically removed).
  13. 13This ingredient is a plant-based surfactant and emulsifier. It helps oil and water based ingredients mix evenly to improve formula stability without adding a "greasy" feel.
  14. 14Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
  15. 15Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
  16. 16Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
  17. 17In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
  18. 18Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
  19. 19Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
  20. 20Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream

First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream Ingredients in First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream explained: benefits, concerns, and detailed analysis of 36 ingredients including Water, Glycerin, and Dime…

Source: skinsort.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side