Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel Versus EltaMD, Inc Foaming Facial Cleanser

Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel Versus EltaMD, Inc Foaming Facial Cleanser This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped. This mild foaming cleanser is mild enough to cleanse withou

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel Versus EltaMD, Inc Foaming Facial Cleanser

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

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

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

Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate

Acrylates Copolymer

Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether

Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether

Magnesium Silicate

Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids

Bromelain

PEG/PPG-14/4 Dimethicone

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Isononyl Isononanoate

Ethylhexyl Isononanoate

Sodium Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate

Sodium Hydroxide

Capryloyl Glycine

Undecylenoyl Glycine

Sodium Bisulfite

Propylene Glycol

Maltodextrin

Coconut Acid

Sodium Chloride

Hexylene Glycol

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Parfum

Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether, Magnesium Silicate, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Bromelain, PEG/PPG-14/4 Dimethicone, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Sodium Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Sodium Bisulfite, Propylene Glycol, Maltodextrin, Coconut Acid, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Parfum

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  4. 04Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  5. 05Though 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.
  6. 06Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
  7. 07Its main roles are:
  8. 08Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
  9. 09The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
  10. 10This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
  11. 11Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  12. 12Like 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.
  13. 13However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  14. 14Due 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.
  15. 15In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  16. 16While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  17. 17Most 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.
  18. 18Rosacea 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.
  19. 19However, 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…
  20. 20Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side

Continue reading

Related articles