Herbivore Aquarius BHA + Blue Tansy Clarity Cleanser Versus Paula's Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser
This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.
This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingTanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingBetaine
Humectant
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Lauryl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Zinc PCA, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Menthyl Lactate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lactobacillus Ferment, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Betaine, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
ChelatingCellulose
Absorbent
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Cellulose Gum, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Cellulose, Fructose, Glucose, 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.
Cocamidopropyl 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 GlycerinWater. 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
