Versus

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser

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

Updated on October 12, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and sensitive skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 Water
Preservative

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.

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

Cleansing, Skin Conditioning

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate is a surfactant and helps cleanse skin. It is created from the fatty acids of coconut oil.

Surfactants help rinse oil, dirt, and other pollutants easily from skin. It has a faint fruit-like scent.

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

When to use

411 Routines
46% use in am
54% use in pm
95% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
23 Routines
43% use in am
57% use in pm
100% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser 27 ingredients

4.2 /5
from 5 ratings
Light Scent (2) Doesn't Work (1) Hydrating (1)
rachaelolivia's avatar

rachael

3 months ago
Review

my favourite cleanser, so underrated! i got this for the first time in 2020 after loving the first aid beauty moisturisers, and have went back to it ever since

if i found out about it now i probably wouldn’t buy it due to the ingredients, it has a high amount of stearic acid and stearyl alcohol- i have very intolerant skin and am wary of certain ingredients even in cleansers but this is Show more

#hydrating
#light scent
#works well
kayvon's avatar

Kayvon 🪐

8 months ago
Review

irritates my skin, potentially overstrips it

#irritating
#light scent
#doesn't work

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser 21 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Hydrating (2) No Scent (2) Works Well (2)
Rosy123's avatar

Rosy123

1 year ago
Review

I have very dry, sensitive, mature skin and have been using this creamy cleanser for many years. It is gentle and non drying but still removes my makeup well. I use a separate remover for mascara and use an oil cleanser as a first cleanse if I have on waterproof sunscreen. But for many years I just used this cleanser and it removed everything well, so an oil cleanser probably is unnecessary TBH. I Show more

#hydrating
#no scent
#works well
hannahsmith2's avatar

Hannah Smith

7 months ago
Review

Really gentle but effective, doesn't break me out like most cleansers do

#expensive
#hydrating
#light
#no scent