Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser

Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser versus Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothi

This source-based comparison does not add ratings or recommend a winner.

Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser versus Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. This glycolic acid gel cleanser is formulated around Glycolic Acid to exfoliate and smooth skin. Water Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate Glycerin Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Cocamidopropyl Betaine Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate Cellulose Gum Coco-Caprylate/Caprate Hydroxyacetophenone Inulin Xanthan Gum Ethylhexylglycerin Sodium Phytate Cellulose Fructose Glucose Phenoxyethanol Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Cellulose Gum, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Cellulose, Fructose, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine Glycolic Acid PEG-6 Cocamide Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate Succinoglycan Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate Urea Allantoin Polyquaternium-51 Trehalose Caprylyl Glycol Sodium Hyaluronate Tocopherol Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate Glyceryl Oleate Coconut Acid 1,2-Hexanediol T-Butyl Alcohol Coco-Glucoside Sodium PCA Sodium Chloride Sodium Hydroxide Citric Acid Potassium Sorbate Sodium Benzoate Limonene Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, PEG-6 Cocamide, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Succinoglycan, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Urea, Allantoin, Polyquaternium-51, Trehalose, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Glyceryl Oleate, Coconut Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene Be the first to review These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. 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. Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster. As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress. Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol. This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency. You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase. Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well. An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient. So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced. Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable. 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!