EltaMD, Inc Skin Recovery Amino Acid Foaming Cleanser Versus VT Cosmetics Barrier Cream Bubble Cleanser
This mild foaming cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin.
This mild foaming cleanser is made to cleanse while respecting your skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Taurine
BufferingSodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Glycine
Buffering
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Bromelain
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Water, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Taurine, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Phenoxyethanol, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Arginine, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Bisabolol, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Coconut Acid, Glycine, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bromelain, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium Citrate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Maltodextrin
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCollagen Water
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Lactobacillus/Milk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Collagen Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearates
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Colostrum
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Milk Lipids
Skin Conditioning
Theanine
EmollientGlutathione
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Lactose
HumectantSodium DNA
Skin Conditioning
Water, Coco-Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Citric Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Potassium Cocoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Collagen Water, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Citrate, Ceramide NP, 2,3-Butanediol, Ascorbic Acid, Ectoin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lactobacillus/Milk Ferment Filtrate, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Squalane, Glycerin, Collagen Extract, Glyceryl Stearates, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Cholesterol, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Colostrum, Ceramide Ns, Milk Lipids, Theanine, Glutathione, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ceramide EOP, Lactose, Sodium DNA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolChances 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.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWe don't have a description for Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids yet.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
