Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser versus Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser .
Last updated on August 02, 2023. Published on April 07, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both face cleansers. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid and niacinamide
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils or silicones
What's Inside
They both contain parabens
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
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser 23 ingredients
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 🎉
Contains Parabens
Ingredients in this product that are types of parabens:
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
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 🎉
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Contains Parabens
Ingredients in this product that are types of parabens:
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
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
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser 23 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
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Notable Ingredients
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:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser 23 ingredients
Water • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine • Glycerin • Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate • Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate • Niacinamide • Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides • Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate • Propylene Glycol • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Carbomer • Methylparaben • Sodium Chloride • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Cholesterol • Disodium EDTA • Propylparaben • Citric Acid • Tetrasodium EDTA • Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid • Phytosphingosine • Xanthan Gum
Water • Glycerin • Sodium Laureth Sulfate • Sodium PCA • Sodium Lactate • Glycine • Fructose • Urea • Niacinamide • Inositol • Lactic Acid • Allantoin • Sodium Hyaluronate • Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate • Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate • Xanthan Gum • Triethanolamine • Carbomer • Benzophenone-3 • Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate • Propylparaben • Methylparaben • Sodium Benzoate
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 WaterCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycerin 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 GlycerinCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.
Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.
The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.
Learn more about NiacinamideCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate isn't fungal acne safe.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.
Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 14.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.
Propylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben with antifungal and antimicrobial properties.
This ingredient can be naturally found in plants and insects, but most of it is synthetically manufactured for human use. In cosmetics, it is usually created by reacting para-aminobenzoic acid and propanol (an alcohol).
You can usually find this ingredient in water-based products.
Parabens have come under controversy due to the claim they are hormone disruptors. Studies show conflicting results. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Propylparaben is commonly found in food, medicine, and cosmetics.
Learn more about PropylparabenCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 21.
Xanthan 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 GumCeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 24.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 16.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser 23 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser 23 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Mirq
Love hate relationship
I’ve been using it almost for year. It clears my skin and it doesn’t break me out but I think it’s too drying for me. I...
Love hate relationship
I’ve been using it almost for year. It clears my skin and it doesn’t break me out but I think it’s too drying for me. I have sensitive combo skin and every time I use my skin feels slightly tight. The reason I was using it for soo long is because I didn’t realised that tight feeling wasn’t normal. So maybe it’s better for more oily skin.
dhochuli
Every teen struggling with acne needs this!
This is the product that helped me get through my horrible acne breakouts. It’s the one cleanser I...
Every teen struggling with acne needs this!
This is the product that helped me get through my horrible acne breakouts. It’s the one cleanser I recommend to my younger clients.
Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser 23 ingredients
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