PCA Skin Creamy Cleanser Versus La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

PCA Skin Creamy Cleanser Versus La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

This mild cream cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.

This cream cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Behenyl Alcohol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Aminomethyl Propanol

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sucrose Distearate

Sucrose Stearate

Xanthan Gum

Chlorphenesin

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate

Tocopherol

Yucca Schidigera Leaf/Root/Stem Extract

Glycine Soja Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behenyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sucrose Distearate, Sucrose Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Yucca Schidigera Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Propylene Glycol

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Polysorbate 60

Ceramide NP

Niacinamide

Sodium Chloride

Coco-Betaine

Disodium EDTA

Panthenol

T-Butyl Alcohol

Water, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polysorbate 60, Ceramide NP, Niacinamide, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Betaine, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Tocopherol

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

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.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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!

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