Aveda Botanical Kinetics All-Sensitive Cleanser Versus Sephora Collection Melting Cleansing Balm with Algae Extract
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Algae Extract
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Algae Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Arginine, Salicylic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate
EmulsifyingTribehenin
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Maris Aqua
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHydrolyzed Algin
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate, Tribehenin, Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Maris Aqua, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Algin, Sodium Benzoate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, CI 42090
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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCoco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CaprateGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 Water
