Updated on June 07, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates
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
Cosmoderm Perfect Balanced Foaming Cleanser 30 ingredients
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser 10 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Cosmoderm Perfect Balanced Foaming Cleanser 30 ingredients
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser 10 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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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.
Palmitic Acid is a fatty acid found in our skin. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It is a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Myristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine. Dimethylaminopropylamine is a diamine, an amine with two amino groups.
Lauric Acid is a fatty acid or lipid. About half of fatty acids in coconut oil is lauric acid.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.
Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is an extract of the leaves of the aloe, Aloe barbadensis, Liliaceae.
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide is a prebiotic. It prevents harmful bacteria from growing on skin by keeping the skin's microbiome in balance.
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.
Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
Triethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicone used to bind and stabilize ingredients.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Lactobacillus is a type of bacteria. It makes up most of the food fermenting lactic acid bacteria. It is used to create wine, yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, beer, cider, kimchi, cocoa, kefir.
6 Benefits 3 Concerns
Lactic Acid is an AHA that is derived from fermenting lactose, a carbohydrate from milk. It removes the top layer of old and dead skin cells and helps increase cell turnover.
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract comes from lemons. While lemon extract is exfoliating and antimicrobial, it can also cause skin sensitivity.
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract comes from the bilberry plant. This plant is native to Eurasia.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Malic Acid is an AHA derived from unripe fruit. The word "Malic" comes from the word "Malum". In Latin, "Malum" means apple.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
Water, Palmitic Acid, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Trehalose, Sodium Bicarbonate, Calamine, Disodium EDTA, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Propanediol, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Maltodextrin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus, Lactic Acid, Solanum Lycopersicum Leaf Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Malic Acid, Citric Acid
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.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
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.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It can be found naturally in our skin and hair.
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
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.
Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from the fatty acids of coconut oil. It is a surfactant and helps with cleansing the skin.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
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 WaterGlycerin 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 GlycerinCitric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
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 even out skin tone.
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.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
When to use
Cosmoderm Perfect Balanced Foaming Cleanser 30 ingredients
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser 10 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Cosmoderm Perfect Balanced Foaming Cleanser 30 ingredients
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser 10 ingredients
starstellastar_407
This is HORRIBLE, soooo bad. Broke me out so bad. It is mega comedogenic. The ingredients are literally known to cause acne.
This is not comedogenic, the ingredients do not show any comedogenic ingredients, some people don't suit it because it's too gentle.
This is not comedogenic, the ingredients do not show any comedogenic ingredients, some people don't suit it because it's too gentle.
Cetearyl Alcohol is comedogenic
Cetearyl Alcohol is comedogenic
