Versus

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser Versus Florence by Mills Clean Magic Face Wash

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
American Brand United States
British Brand United Kingdom

Updated on February 03, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, oils, 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

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Clean Magic Face Wash

Water

Skin Conditioning

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Glycol Stearate

Emollient
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Cetyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 2 Fatty Alcohol Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Malic Acid

Buffering
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Mandelic Acid

Antimicrobial
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Gallic Acid

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Cyanocobalamin

Skin Conditioning

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Astringent
Good for Oily Skin Icon

Lactic Acid

Buffering
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Glycolic Acid

Buffering
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Santalum Album Wood Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Rose Extract

Skin Conditioning

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps reduce irritation Icon

Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Cleansing

Nasturtium Officinale Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Hedera Helix Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Citrus Limon Peel Extract

Emollient

Arctium Majus Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Astringent

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Emollient

Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract

Emulsion Stabilising
Fragrance Icon

Cananga Odorata Flower Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking

Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate

Cleansing

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Cleansing
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Cleansing

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Cleansing
May worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Citric Acid

Buffering
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Hydroxycitronellal

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

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
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Emollient, Emulsifying

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.

As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.

In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.

This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.

Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol
Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

Learn more about Cetyl Alcohol
Skin Conditioning

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.

When to use

9,929 Routines
48% use in am
52% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
25 Routines
52% use in am
48% use in pm
100% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

3.2 /5
from 112 ratings
Hydrating (29) No Scent (23) Great Value (19)
BubbIes's avatar

BubbIes

1 year ago
Review

This was hydrating, but that's where the positives end. For a "hydrating" cleanser this has THREE harsh irritating alcohols and two of them are in the first five ingredients (they're in higher concentrations than most of the other ingredients). I was upset to realize this was probably causing my breakouts. CeraVe's quality really tanked and most people who are using them probably don't realize Show more

#great value
#broke me out
#irritating
essmaamessaoudi's avatar

أسماء

8 months ago
Review

It doesnt do its job of cleansing at all feels more like a lotion that sits on top of your skin more than anything

I use it as a milky lotion to melt makeup at the end of the day before using another cleanser

Florence by Mills Clean Magic Face Wash 47 ingredients

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