Kate Somerville DeliKate Soothing Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Resist Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser

Kate Somerville DeliKate Soothing Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Resist Optimal Results Hydrating 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

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Propanediol

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Xylitylglucoside

Betaine

Phospholipids

Linoleic Acid

Glycine Soja Sterols

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract

Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil

Ectoin

Hydroxyectoin

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Bisabolol

Tocopherol

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Carbomer

Anhydroxylitol

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

1,2-Hexanediol

Stearic Acid

Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate

Saccharide Isomerate

Xylitol

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Xanthan Gum

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xylitylglucoside, Betaine, Phospholipids, Linoleic Acid, Glycine Soja Sterols, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Ectoin, Hydroxyectoin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Carbomer, Anhydroxylitol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Saccharide Isomerate, Xylitol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate

Decyl Glucoside

PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether

Methyl Gluceth-20

Stearyl Alcohol

Polyacrylamide

Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Laureth-7

Disodium EDTA

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, PPG-20 Methyl Glucose Ether, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Similar Comparisons