Skin science article
Herbivore Aquarius BHA + Blue Tansy Clarity Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser
Herbivore Aquarius BHA + Blue Tansy Clarity Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and s
Herbivore Aquarius BHA + Blue Tansy Clarity Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser
This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.
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 Methyl Isethionate
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Glycerin
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
Lauryl Glucoside
Coco-Glucoside
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Zinc PCA
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Sodium Levulinate
Sodium Anisate
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Menthyl Lactate
Citric Acid
Sodium Benzoate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Lactobacillus Ferment
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Betaine
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Lauryl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Zinc PCA, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Menthyl Lactate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lactobacillus Ferment, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Betaine, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
Cellulose Gum
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Hydroxyacetophenone
Inulin
Xanthan Gum
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Phytate
Cellulose
Fructose
Glucose
Phenoxyethanol
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Cellulose Gum, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Cellulose, Fructose, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol
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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.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
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!