IMAGE skincare Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser Versus Jan Marini C-ESTA Cleansing Gel

IMAGE skincare Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser Versus Jan Marini C-ESTA Cleansing Gel

This gel 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

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Water

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate

Glycerin

PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

Sorbitol

Decyl Glucoside

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Oryza Sativa Extract

Panthenol

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Amyl Cinnamal

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Peel Extract

Juniperus Virginiana Wood Extract

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Limonene

Arnica Montana Flower Extract

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Symphytum Officinale Root Extract

Benzyl Alcohol

Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Butter Extract

Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract

Coffea Arabica Leaf/Seed Extract

Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract

Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract

Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Soybean Peroxidase

Superoxide Dismutase

Tocopherol

Potassium Sorbate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sorbitol, Decyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oryza Sativa Extract, Panthenol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Amyl Cinnamal, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Juniperus Virginiana Wood Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Limonene, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Butter Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Leaf/Seed Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Soybean Peroxidase, Superoxide Dismutase, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate

Ammonium Xylenesulfonate

Butylene Glycol

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract

Saponaria Officinalis Root Extract

Yucca Schidigera Root Extract

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Polysorbate 20

Dimethyl Lauramine Oleate

Polyquaternium-10

Dimethyl Mea

Citric Acid

Parfum

Benzyl Benzoate

Lauryl Alcohol

Ammonium Sulfate

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Oleic Acid

Sodium Acetate

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Glycolate

Dimethylaminopropylamine

Isopropyl Alcohol

Sodium Metabisulfite

Sodium Sulfite

Disodium EDTA

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Ammonium Xylenesulfonate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Polysorbate 20, Dimethyl Lauramine Oleate, Polyquaternium-10, Dimethyl Mea, Citric Acid, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Lauryl Alcohol, Ammonium Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Oleic Acid, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Glycolate, Dimethylaminopropylamine, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.

This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.

As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.

The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.

This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.

It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.

Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.

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.

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.

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.

When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate is used to improve texture and stability of a product. It is sugar based and helps thicken a product.

Once applied, it also creates a thin film to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.

This ingredient is the polyethylene glycol ether of the diester of oleic acid and methylglucose. The 120 represents an average of 120 moles of ethylene oxide.

There is limited research on this ingredient, although it is considered safe to use in skincare products.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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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