Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover versus Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser .
Published on March 26, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Face Cleanser
Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).
Face Cleanser
Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).
Price
Ingredient Info
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover 16 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser 21 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover 16 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser 21 ingredients
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover 16 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser 21 ingredients
Water • Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Sorbitan Laurate • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Caprylyl Glycol • Sodium Lauroamphoacetate • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol • Sodium Hydroxide • Parfum • Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Water • Tetrasodium EDTA • Butylene Glycol • Yeast Extract • Glycine Soja Protein
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 Extract • Beta-Glucan • Paraffinum Liquidum • Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate • Butylene Glycol • Disodium EDTA • Sodium Hydroxide • Hexylene Glycol • Caprylyl Glycol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Phenoxyethanol • Chlorphenesin
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
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 WaterAveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine. Dimethylaminopropylamine is a diamine, an amine with two amino groups.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine 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.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineAveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover contains this as ingredient number 3.
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken and improve the texture of products.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is also an emulsifier. Due to its properties, it can prevent water and oil ingredients from separating.
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover contains this as ingredient number 5.
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolAveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover contains this as ingredient number 6.
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover contains this as ingredient number 8.
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
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.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover contains this as ingredient number 9.
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.
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.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideAveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover contains this as ingredient number 10.
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 16.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover contains this as ingredient number 14.
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 14.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover 16 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser 21 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover 16 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser 21 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover 16 ingredients
Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser 21 ingredients
I have very dry, sensitive, mature skin and have been using this creamy cleanser for many years. It is gentle and non drying but still removes my makeup well. I use a separate remover for mascara and use an oil cleanser as a first...
I have very dry, sensitive, mature skin and have been using this creamy cleanser for many years. It is gentle and non drying but still removes my makeup well. I use a separate remover for mascara and use an oil cleanser as a first cleanse if I have on waterproof sunscreen. But for many years I just used this cleanser and it removed everything well, so an oil cleanser probably is unnecessary TBH. I highly recommend this cleanser for dry, sensitive skin.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Aveeno Positively Radiant Micellar Gel Cleanser Makeup Remover.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 17 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser.
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