Cetaphil Dermacontrol Purifying Clay Mask Versus Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Mud Mask
Updated on July 26, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe wash off masks. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin and oily skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
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
Cetaphil Dermacontrol Purifying Clay Mask 23 ingredients
Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Mud Mask 26 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Cetaphil Dermacontrol Purifying Clay Mask 23 ingredients
Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Mud Mask 26 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Concerns
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Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
2 Benefits
Kaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
2 Concerns
Petrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.
3 Concerns
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients.
Bentonite is an aluminium phyllosilicate clay with great absorbent properties. The name 'bentonite' comes from the area where the largest source is found: Fort Benton, Wyoming.
Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
2 Concerns
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate is a type of silica. It comes from naturally occuring minerals such as silicate ores and clay.
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract is extract from Apples. Apples are rich in Vitamin C, sugars, and antioxidants.
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Not safe for Fungal Acne
Persea Gratissima Oil is made by pressing dehydrated avocado fruit from the tree Persea gratissima, Lauraceae.
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.
Sorbitan Stearate comes from sorbitol and stearic acid. Sorbitol is a type of sugar and stearic acid is a fatty acid.
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.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil is created from the seeds of the cucumber.
Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer is made up of glycerin and polyacrylic acid. It helps hydrate your skin as a humectant.
Water, Kaolin, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Bentonite, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
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.
2 Benefits
Kaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Bentonite is an aluminium phyllosilicate clay with great absorbent properties. The name 'bentonite' comes from the area where the largest source is found: Fort Benton, Wyoming.
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Not safe for Fungal Acne
This ingredient is the fixed oil extracted from seeds of the desert shrub Jojoba. It is more commonly known as jojoba oil. The seed oil is liquid wax ester from the plant. It is non-comedogenic.
Sulfur is a commonly occurring element on Earth (and our universe!). In cosmetics, it helps kill bacteria, reduces sebum, and provides exfoliation. This makes it an effective ingredient to reduce breakouts and fight acne.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Vegetable oil is created from seeds or parts of plants.
2 Concerns
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Salix Alba Bark Extract comes from the white willow tree, which is native to Europe and Central Asia.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Preservative 5 Benefits 4 Concerns
Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It can be found naturally in our skin and hair.
Antioxidant 6 Benefits
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C. This form makes up the largest amount of vitamin C found naturally in our skin.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
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.
Bisabolol is pimarily used to add fragrance to a product. However, it is also famous for helping soothe skin.
Fragrance Oil Good for Oily Skin
This tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Tea Tree plant. Tea tree oil has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Dehydroacetic Acid is fungicide and bactericide. It is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Preservatives help elongate the shelf life of a product.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Oil Not safe for Fungal Acne
Olea Europaea Leaf Oil is a fragrance, is an oil, and isn't fungal acne safe.
Oil EU Allergen
Mentha Piperita Oil is the volatile oil obtained from the whole plant of the Peppermint plant.
Oil EU Allergen
This oil is derived from the leaves of Eucalyptus Globulus, a type of Eucalyptus tree native to Australia.
Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sulfur, Vegetable Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Butyl Avocadate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Glycerin, Benzyl PCA, Salicylic Acid, Phytosterols, Panthenol, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Allantoin, Tamarindus Indica Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Oil, Mentha Spicata Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterKaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.
Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.
The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.
Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.
Learn more about KaolinGlycerin 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 GlycerinBentonite is an aluminium phyllosilicate clay with great absorbent properties. The name 'bentonite' comes from the area where the largest source is found: Fort Benton, Wyoming.
As a clay, bentonite is often used to absorb excess oil and provide exfoliation. It has also been shown to have some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show bentonite was effective at calming dermatitis from poison ivy and in diaper dermatitis of infants. Bentonite has also been shown to act as a barrier against toxic compounds on your skin.
Sunscreens containing bentonite display higher water resistance and stay on the skin for much longer. The sunscreens containing bentonite also show higher potency and UV light absorbtion.
Bentonite is naturally created from volcanic ash and several natural weathering/hydrothermal processes.
A common usage of bentonite is removing excess protein from white wines. Bentonite contains a property of being able to absorb large amounts of protein from aqueous solutions.
Phyllosilicate clay has a structure formed by sheets.
Learn more about BentoniteButyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
Cetaphil Dermacontrol Purifying Clay Mask 23 ingredients
Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Mud Mask 26 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Cetaphil Dermacontrol Purifying Clay Mask 23 ingredients
AnaRitaSantos
Best clay mask I tried. It's really effective and does a throughly deep clean into the pores. I have very oily acne prone skin trough the year and...
Best clay mask I tried. It's really effective and does a throughly deep clean into the pores. I have very oily acne prone skin trough the year and using this product on a regular basis made my skin smoother, more balanced and healthier. It's a strong clay, I had to start using it slowly for my skin to adjust. It's almost creamy and moisturizing. As a general application technique, I always find helpful to use two layers of clay to get all of it's benefits while minimizing potential dryness.
