The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser Versus Dr Sam’s Flawless Cleanser

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser Versus Dr Sam’s Flawless Cleanser Detailed comparison of The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser versus Dr Sam’s Flawless Cleanser. This cream cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some. This gel cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some. Water Glycerin Coco-Glucoside Betaine Cetearyl Alcohol Stearic Acid Phenoxyethanol Benzyl Alcohol Xanthan Gum Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer Inulin Ethylhexylglycerin Sodium Hydroxide Dehydroacetic Acid Polyquaternium-10 Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate Sodium Hyaluronate Lecithin Water, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Inulin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate Poloxamer 188 Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer Polysorbate 20 Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Tocopheryl Acetate Citric Acid Allantoin Disodium EDTA BHT Water, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Poloxamer 188, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, BHT These ingredients are found in both products. Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount. Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent. This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products. As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products. The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive. This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen. It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products. Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products. At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction. Dehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes. As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold. It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing. 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