Versus

Balea Med Ultra Sensitive Waschgel Versus Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
German Brand Germany
French Brand France

Updated on February 24, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for brightening skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or silicones

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

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Cleansing, Emulsion Stabilising

Decyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.

Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away. As an emulsion stabilizer, it stabilizes the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.

This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.

Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.

Learn more about Decyl Glucoside
Masking

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride
Buffering, Masking

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

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 even out skin tone.

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.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

When to use

322 Routines
41% use in am
59% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
654 Routines
47% use in am
52% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Balea Med Ultra Sensitive Waschgel 10 ingredients

3.5 /5
from 11 ratings
Drying (5) No Scent (5) Works Well (4)
noorclean's avatar

Noor Clean

3 months ago
Review

Gentle formula suppose for sensitive skin but sadly it gave me closed comedones

#broke me out
#light
#no scent
javierbellidoroldan's avatar

Javier Bellido Roldan

5 months ago
Review

Great for the price. It is fungal acne safe but for my oily skin it is a bit too dry. I love the texture!

#great value
#drying
#no scent
#works well

Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel 21 ingredients

2.5 /5
from 11 ratings
Irritating (4) Works Well (3) Great Value (3)
laila.21's avatar

Laila

1 year ago
Review

The best water-based cleanser i used so far!
It doesn’t dry my skin out at all and actually leaves it looking glowy and hydrated.
It has a slight scent, but even i have a sensitive acne prone skin it didn’t bother at all nor cause an allergic reaction.

#great value
#light scent
#works well
Elfin1's avatar

Elfin1

7 months ago
Review

i have oily skin and this broke me out so bad even though it feels like it cleans my face properly.

#broke me out
#irritating