Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Ingredient or product comparison

Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker

Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser versus Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. Th

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Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Versus Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser versus Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry. No key ingredients No concerns 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 PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides Propanediol Methyl Gluceth-20 Poloxamer 184 Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer Panthenol Allantoin Xylitylglucoside Anhydroxylitol Xylitol Citric Acid Water, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Propanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Poloxamer 184, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Allantoin, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel. While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns. Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source. This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out. This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%. 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. Glucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent. Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated. It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with. Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface. Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff. In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources. 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 mo