Skin science article
Paula's Choice Resist Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser Versus Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Balancing Gel Cleanser
Paula's Choice Resist Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser Versus Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Balancing Gel 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 so
Paula's Choice Resist Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser Versus Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Balancing Gel 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
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Stearic Acid
Glycerin
Glycol Distearate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Acrylates Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ceramide NP
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Phytosphingosine
Phospholipids
Sphingolipids
Lecithin
Arginine
Cholesterol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Xanthan Gum
Carbomer
Hexylene Glycol
Phenoxyethanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Water, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Acrylates Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Lecithin, Arginine, Cholesterol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Decyl Glucoside
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Niacinamide
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
Citric Acid
Chlorphenesin
Magnesium Aspartate
Zinc Gluconate
Algin
Achillea Millefolium Extract
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract
Panthenol
Copper Gluconate
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Niacinamide, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Algin, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract, Panthenol, Copper Gluconate
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).
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.
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!