Garnier SkinActive Micellar Foaming Cleanser Versus Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Purifying Gel Cleanser
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
Polyquaternium-11
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingVitis Vinifera
MaskingCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Polysorbate 20, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Citric Acid, Cocamide Mea, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Polyquaternium-11, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Vitis Vinifera, Ceramide AP
Water
Skin ConditioningLauryl Glucoside
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sucrose Laurate
Emollient
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Potassium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Sodium Phytate
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Lauryl Glucoside, Decyl Glucoside, Sucrose Laurate, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Betaine, Betaine, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Glyceryl Oleate, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Potassium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Alcohol, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Phytate, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
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 AcidCoco-Betaine is the natural version of Cocamidopropyl Betaine. It is often derived from coconuts.
Coco-Betaine is a surfactant, meaning it helps remove dirt and oil from the skin.
Glycerin (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 BenzoateChances 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 ChlorideWater. 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
