Cetaphil Healthy Radiance Brightness Reveal Creamy Cleanser Versus Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser
This cream cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingMyristic Acid
CleansingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientAnhydroxylitol
HumectantArachidic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantCapric Acid
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingOleic Acid
EmollientPancratium Maritimum Extract
BleachingPolyquaternium-7
Potassium Benzoate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingSorbitol
HumectantTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xylitol
HumectantXylitylglucoside
HumectantGlycerin, Water, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Stearate, Anhydroxylitol, Arachidic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Capric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Niacinamide, Oleic Acid, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Polyquaternium-7, Potassium Benzoate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sorbitol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xylitol, Xylitylglucoside
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDistearyl Phthalic Acid Amide
EmollientSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Isopropyl Alcohol
SolventAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Distearyl Phthalic Acid Amide, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Isopropyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient 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 BetaineEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinChances 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.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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