Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Detailed comparison of Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser versus Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser. This mild cream cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. No key ingredients Water Hydrogenated Polydecene Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate Glycine Soja Oil C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Polysorbate 80 Laureth-4 Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Cocamidopropyl Betaine Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Beta-Glucan Paraffinum Liquidum PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate Butylene Glycol Disodium EDTA Sodium Hydroxide Hexylene Glycol Caprylyl Glycol Ethylhexylglycerin Phenoxyethanol Chlorphenesin Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycine Soja Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 80, Laureth-4, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Beta-Glucan, Paraffinum Liquidum, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate Glycerin Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate Cellulose Gum Coco-Caprylate/Caprate Hydroxyacetophenone Inulin Xanthan Gum Sodium Phytate Cellulose Fructose Glucose 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 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. 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