Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for brightening skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser 14 ingredients
Kiehl's Centella Sensitive Facial Cleanser 11 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser 14 ingredients
Kiehl's Centella Sensitive Facial Cleanser 11 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is an extract of the leaves of the aloe, Aloe barbadensis, Liliaceae.
Sorbitan Stearate comes from sorbitol and stearic acid. Sorbitol is a type of sugar and stearic acid is a fatty acid.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is made up of Benzoic Acid and long chain alcohols. It has a low molecular weight.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Lauryl Glucoside sugar- and lipid-based cleansing agent. It is created from glucose and lauryl alcohol.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
Antioxidant Helps brighten skin
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
2 Concerns
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
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.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created stabilizer and solvent. It is a part of the glycol class in the alcohol family.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterEthylhexyl Palmitate is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.
The fatty acid content of Ethylhexyl Palmitate makes it an emollient. Emollients help soften and hydrate your skin by trapping moisture within.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is also used to help improve the texture of cosmetics. It helps other ingredient dissolve in products and help disperse ingredients more evenly. In fact, it is commonly used to evenly mix sunscreen ingredients such as avobenzone and ethylhexyl triazone. It can also help stabilize the fragrances in a product as a fragrance fixative.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate can be used to substitute mineral oil.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl PalmitateCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinIngredient Ratings
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