Dermedic Oilage Face Cleansing Oil Syndet Versus Sephora Collection Melting Cleansing Balm with Algae Extract
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
EmulsifyingPPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
EmulsifyingGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantSorbitol
HumectantPolyquaternium-7
Glycine Soja Oil
EmollientOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeParfum
MaskingCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Polyquaternium-7, Glycine Soja Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, CI 15985
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantHydrogenated Castor Oil
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Caprate
EmulsifyingTribehenin
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPolyglyceryl-3 Stearate
EmulsifyingMaris Aqua
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Chloride
MaskingHydrolyzed Algin
Sodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin ProtectingChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate, Tribehenin, Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Maris Aqua, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Algin, Sodium Benzoate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, CI 42090
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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.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCocamidopropyl 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 BetaineGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinSodium 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.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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