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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on December 17, 2020

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Face Cleanser American Brand United States
Face Cleanser American Brand United States

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Price

Shop

Buy Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

Starts at $34.00
Shop

Buy Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel

Starts at $39.00

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

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA (4)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (4)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (5)

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating (4)
Rosacea (6)
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Compared

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

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

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing 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

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Cleansing
Community Rating: Liked

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate is a cleansing ingredient. It is a surfactant, meaning it helps gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants. This helps them be rinsed away easily.

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Cleansing, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is a synthetic cleansing agent, though it is derived from coconut oil.

It is used to enhance the texture of products by boosting lather and thickening the texture. As a cleanser, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is mild.

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 6.

5
What it does: Solvent
Community Rating: Liked

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.

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.

It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 4.

6
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

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 17.

7
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 42.

8
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

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 38.

9
What it does: Masking, Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

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.

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.

Sodium Benzoate 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 Benzoate

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 21.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 40.

10
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Chances 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.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 9.

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

35% are loved or liked
22% have mixed ratings
30% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet
43% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
31% are disliked or very disliked
19% 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

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser 23 ingredients

2.6 /5
from 5 ratings
Broke Me Out (2) Irritating (2) Drying (1) Expensive (1) No Scent (1)
LeenaYager's avatar

LeenaYager

2 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

I have sensitive skin so I’ve been trying cleansers. This cleanser was horrible. It gave me red patchy and itchy skin. My skin still hasn’t cleared...

I have sensitive skin so I’ve been trying cleansers. This cleanser was horrible. It gave me red patchy and itchy skin. My skin still hasn’t cleared up. Would not recommend

BriannaA's avatar

BriannaA

29 days ago · Combination Skin
Review

My skin broke out horribly. My neck and sides of my face was red, severely irritated and patchy. It took weeks to recover and I still have flaking...

My skin broke out horribly. My neck and sides of my face was red, severely irritated and patchy. It took weeks to recover and I still have flaking under my neck. This was since late January.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel 42 ingredients

Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel hasn't been rated yet.
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