IMAGE skincare Vital C Cleanser Versus Derma E Vitamin C Gentle Daily Cleansing Paste

IMAGE skincare Vital C Cleanser Versus Derma E Vitamin C Gentle Daily Cleansing Paste

This mild cream cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Isododecane

Cetearyl Olivate

Cetyl Alcohol

Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Sorbitan Olivate

Limonene

Stearic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Decyl Glucoside

Glycereth-26

C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside

Glycerin

Xanthan Gum

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil

Retinyl Palmitate

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Butylene Glycol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Yeast Polysaccharides

Sodium Hydroxide

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Tocopherol

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract

Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Tromethamine

Superoxide Dismutase

Phenoxyethanol

Eugenol

Water, Isododecane, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Limonene, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycereth-26, C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Yeast Polysaccharides, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Superoxide Dismutase, Phenoxyethanol, Eugenol

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Potassium Hydroxide

Myristic Acid

Behenic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Lauric Acid

Kaolin

Oryza Sativa Powder

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Titanium Dioxide

Lauryl Lactyl Lactate

Bentonite

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Iron Oxides

Panthenol

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract

Echinacea Purpurea Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Echinacea Angustifolia Root Extract

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Behenic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Kaolin, Oryza Sativa Powder, Stearic Acid, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Lauryl Lactyl Lactate, Bentonite, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Iron Oxides, Panthenol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Echinacea Angustifolia Root Extract, Phenoxyethanol

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 Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.

This ingredient is commonly used in skincare because it's more formulation-stable while still offering the same benefits as pure ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and oxygen whereas SAP has been shown to be more stable.

Studies show SAP has anti-acne and antioxidant benefits. One study found 5% of SAP lotion to be an effective ingredient for treating acne vulgaris. This is because research shows that SAP may help control acne by reducing acne-causing bacteria and slowing the oxidation of skin oils caused by UV exposure.

In addition to acne, vitamin C is important for skin structure. Lab studies suggest SAP may support collagen production in skin cells, making it a great ingredient in anti-aging routines.

Vitamin C has many benefits: it helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, fade the appearance of dark spots, and brighten the skin.

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

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.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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