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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel versus Pipette After Sun Gel .

Published on August 10, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and sensitive skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens 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.

General Moisturizer American Brand United States
After Sun Care American Brand United States

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

After Sun Care

Products designed to be used after sun exposure.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid (2)

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Rosacea
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.

Pipette After Sun Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel contains this as ingredient number 2.

Pipette After Sun Gel contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Antioxidant
Community Rating: Liked

Hydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant and helps with skin conditioning.

Antioxidants help fight off free-radical molecules. These unstable molecules may damage your skin cells. By helping stabilize free-radicals, antioxidants may help in anti-aging.

Hydroxyacetophenone boosts the efficiency of other preservatives.

Learn more about Hydroxyacetophenone

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel contains this as ingredient number 13.

Pipette After Sun Gel contains this as ingredient number 13.

4
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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 Gum

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel contains this as ingredient number 14.

Pipette After Sun Gel contains this as ingredient number 6.

5
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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 Glycol

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel contains this as ingredient number 16.

Pipette After Sun Gel contains this as ingredient number 12.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel contains this as ingredient number 17.

Pipette After Sun Gel contains this as ingredient number 16.

7
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel contains this as ingredient number 25.

Pipette After Sun Gel contains this as ingredient number 15.

8
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

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

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.

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 look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel contains this as ingredient number 33.

Pipette After Sun Gel contains this as ingredient number 18.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

59% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
21% are disliked or very disliked
12% have no rating yet
56% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
22% are disliked or very disliked
11% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel 34 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 4 ratings
No Scent (2) Expensive (1) Great Value (1) Hydrating (1) Light (1) Sticky (1)
Azibeth's avatar

Azibeth

2 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

I really do love this product. I suppose that’s a given as I keep repurchasing it. Lightweight, absorbs well, and the gel formulation is cool so...

I really do love this product. I suppose that’s a given as I keep repurchasing it. Lightweight, absorbs well, and the gel formulation is cool so non-comedogenic as well. Has both niacidamide and hyaluronic acid, and I know it won’t ever break me out or react badly with my other products. Won’t do much for you if you have dry skin though. I also wouldn’t use it right before applying a powder or mineral based makeup. Probably a knock off of some more expensive gel moisturizer out there but for something I found at cvs, it’s won me over.

SaraCarson's avatar

SaraCarson

20 days ago · Dry Skin
Review

It's nice going on and provides decent moisture however it is still tacky 20 minutes later. I've used it a few times now but I'll be returning it...

It's nice going on and provides decent moisture however it is still tacky 20 minutes later. I've used it a few times now but I'll be returning it to Ulta. It could be a nice slightly tacky base for makeup but I have a primer for that.

Pipette After Sun Gel 18 ingredients

2.0 /5
from 1 rating
UnidentifiedFlyingOkra's avatar

UnidentifiedFlyingOkra

5 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

There are better gels out there
This gel is FA safe, but I've used better. The formula looks beneficial (to me) on paper but is pretty watery and...

There are better gels out there
This gel is FA safe, but I've used better. The formula looks beneficial (to me) on paper but is pretty watery and almost runs out of the tube when you invert it & I found it to be a little bit drying. Ultimately doesn't give me what I need. Will use it up on my body mixed with MCT oil but won't repurchase - will stick with the Purito Oat-in gel cream for my all-purpose face moisturizer.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 1 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Pipette After Sun Gel.

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