Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser Versus Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser
This lactic acid gel cleanser is formulated around Lactic Acid to exfoliate and smooth skin.
This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while respecting your skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Silk Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium EDTA
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Propanediol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactic Acid, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Silk, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Astaxanthin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Caprylyl Glycol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenethyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Surfactant
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Micrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Epidermidibacterium Keratini Ferment Filtrate
EmollientQuillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingSodium Phytate
Lecithin
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingButyl Avocadate
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Mannose
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAloe Ferox Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTriacetin
AntimicrobialGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentParfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Inulin, Butylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Colloidal Oatmeal, Caprylyl Glycol, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Micrococcus Lysate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Epidermidibacterium Keratini Ferment Filtrate, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Sodium Phytate, Lecithin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Citric Acid, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sodium Citrate, Butyl Avocadate, Arginine, Phytosphingosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Mannose, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Maltodextrin, Tocopherol, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Triacetin, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dextrin, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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.
Learn more about GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil is a lightweight oil from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree. In cosmetics, it's an emollient that forms a light film to slow water loss and soften skin.
Its fatty acid composition is dominated by oleic acid (70-78%), with smaller amounts of behenic, palmitic, and stearic acids (this profile is actually pretty similar to olive oil).
Notably, this ingredient is oxidatively stable for an oil and resists going rancid as fast as other oils.
A small, in vivo study on 32 participants found a cream with this ingredient increased skin hydration with no reported skin irritation. It also found the tocopherol content gave it some antioxidant activity as well.
One thing to flag for fungal acne:
Because this oil is so high in oleic acid, Malassezia can use it as a food source and this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
For everyone else, this ingredient is well-tolerated and nourishing with a good safety track record.
Learn more about Moringa Oleifera Seed OilSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
