Skin science article
Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser Versus IMAGE skincare Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser
Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser Versus IMAGE skincare Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. This gel cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol t
Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser Versus IMAGE skincare Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser
This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin.
This gel 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
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate
Polysorbate 20
Sodium Chloride
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Medicago Sativa Extract
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Glycerin
Panthenol
Tocopheryl Acetate
Decyl Glucoside
Sorbitan Laurate
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Gluconolactone
Ethylhexylglycerin
Maltodextrin
Citric Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate
Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract
Parfum
Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium Glycolate
Sodium Formate
Hexyl Cinnamal
Linalool
Limonene
CI 75810
Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Decyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Laurate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Gluconolactone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Glycolate, Sodium Formate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Limonene, CI 75810
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Sorbitol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Oryza Sativa Extract
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Amyl Cinnamal
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
Citrus Limon Peel Extract
Juniperus Virginiana Wood Extract
Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Symphytum Officinale Root Extract
Benzyl Alcohol
Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Butter Extract
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Coffea Arabica Leaf/Seed Extract
Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Soybean Peroxidase
Superoxide Dismutase
Tocopherol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sorbitol, Decyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oryza Sativa Extract, Panthenol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Amyl Cinnamal, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Juniperus Virginiana Wood Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Limonene, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Butter Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Leaf/Seed Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Soybean Peroxidase, Superoxide Dismutase, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate
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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.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract comes from the Chamomile flower.
Chamomile is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. Several compounds found in chamomile help with soothing, such as bisbolol.
Antioxidant components in chamomile make it an effective ingredient to help slow the signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, or molecules that may damage your skin.
Essential oils from chamomile have been found to improve wound healing due to its antimicrobial properties.
Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used Chamomile to treat skin redness and dryness. Chamomile has also been used to help treat stomach issues.
Decyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
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.
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.
Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
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!