Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Cleanser Versus Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Facial Nourishing Anti-Aging Cleanser

Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Cleanser Versus Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Facial Nourishing Anti-Aging Cleanser

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

This mild gel 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

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate

Butylene Glycol

Coco-Glucoside

Glycerin

Xanthan Gum

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Arctium Majus Root Water

Allantoin

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Tocopherol

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Isoamyl Laurate

Polysorbate 20

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tetrasodium EDTA

Citric Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Butylene Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Arctium Majus Root Water, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Isoamyl Laurate, Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Lauryl Glucoside

Potassium Acrylates Copolymer

Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate

Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Hydroxide

Parfum

Maltodextrin

Ascorbic Acid

Rubus Fruticosus Leaf Extract

Peucedanum Graveolens Extract

Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Potassium Acrylates Copolymer, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Maltodextrin, Ascorbic Acid, Rubus Fruticosus Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Peucedanum Graveolens Extract, Xanthan Gum

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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