PCA Skin Creamy Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Cleanser

PCA Skin Creamy Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Cleanser

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

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

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Glycol Stearate

Methyl Gluceth-20

Glyceryl Stearate

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium PCA

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Hexylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol

Citric Acid

Phytic Acid

Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Stearate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Phytic Acid, Phenoxyethanol

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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).

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.

This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.

Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.

While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.

We don't have a description for Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate yet.

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.

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.

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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