L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Face Cream Versus Murad Soothing Oat and Peptide Cleanser

L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Face Cream Versus Murad Soothing Oat and Peptide Cleanser

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

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate

Coco-Betaine

Decyl Glucoside

Butyrospermum Parkii Oil

Citric Acid

Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water

Sodium Chloride

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Benzoate

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Coco-Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum

Propanediol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Squalane

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer

Betaine

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Saccharide Isomerate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Polyisobutene

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Sodium Surfactin

Sorbitan Isostearate

Sorbitan Oleate

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Chlorphenesin

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Betaine, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Surfactin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sorbitan Oleate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate

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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.

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.

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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