PCA Skin Facial Wash Versus ZO Skin Health Gentle Cleanser

PCA Skin Facial Wash Versus ZO Skin Health Gentle Cleanser

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Lactic Acid

Sodium Cocoamphoacetate

Sodium Chloride

Propanediol

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Benzoate

Caprylyl Glycol

Chlorphenesin

Potassium Sorbate

Allantoin

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Salix Nigra Bark Extract

Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lactic Acid, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Chloride, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids

Artemisia Vulgaris Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Crithmum Maritimum Extract

Hordeum Distichon Extract

Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract

Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract

Pterocarpus Soyauxii Wood Extract

Spiraea Ulmaria Extract

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Tetrasodium EDTA

Benzoic Acid

Parfum

CI 42090

CI 17200

Citronellol

Hexyl Cinnamal

Limonene

Linalool

Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Sodium Chloride, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Hordeum Distichon Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Pterocarpus Soyauxii Wood Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid, Parfum, CI 42090, CI 17200, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool

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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.

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.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.

You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.

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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