Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel Versus Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser

Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel Versus Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser

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

This lactic acid gel cleanser is formulated around Lactic Acid to exfoliate and smooth skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Decyl Glucoside

Glycerin

Sodium Cocoamphoacetate

Lauryl Glucoside

Xanthan Gum

Coco-Glucoside

Glucose

Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate

Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate

Glyceryl Oleate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Carrageenan

Sodium Phytate

Citric Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Glucose, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Glyceryl Oleate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carrageenan, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate

Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Propanediol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Lactic Acid

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Silk Amino Acids

Hydrolyzed Silk

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Lecithin

Astaxanthin

Caprylyl Glycol

O-Cymen-5-Ol

Polysorbate 20

Tetrasodium EDTA

Phenethyl Alcohol

Water, Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Propanediol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactic Acid, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Silk, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Astaxanthin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Caprylyl Glycol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenethyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate

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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.

Lauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.

This ingredient is a surfactant, making it easier to rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants away.

A British study found lauryl glucoside to cause skin sensitivity for some people. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Other names for this ingredient include "Lauryl Polyglucose", "Lauryl glycoside", and "D-Glucopyranoside".

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.

We don't have a description for Sodium Cocoamphoacetate yet.

Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate is a gentle cleanser and surfactant. It is the sodium salt of the Cocoyl Glutamic Acid and comes from coconut oil. As a surfactant, it helps lift dirt and oil to be washed away.

Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate also has an emolliating effect and can help leave the skin feeling soft.

We don't have a description for Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate yet.

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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