Skin science article
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser For Oily Skin Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser For Oily Skin Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ing
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser For Oily Skin Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser
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 Laureth Sulfate
PEG-8
Coco-Betaine
Hexylene Glycol
Sodium Chloride
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Zinc PCA
Sodium Hydroxide
Citric Acid
Sodium Benzoate
Phenoxyethanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Parfum
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-8, Coco-Betaine, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Zinc PCA, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum
Prunus Mume Fruit Water
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Glycerin
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Oryza Sativa Extract
Prunus Mume Fruit Extract
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Coconut Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Isethionate
Butylene Glycol
1,2-Hexanediol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Dextrin
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Propylene Glycol Laurate
Sodium Citrate
Disodium EDTA
Water, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Coconut Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Isethionate, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dextrin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA
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.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
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.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
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!