Herbivore Pink Cloud Rosewater + Tremella Creamy Jelly Cleanser Versus CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
MaskingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSqualane
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
AntioxidantCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientCocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
EmollientTapioca Starch
Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Squalane, Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citric Acid, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Tapioca Starch
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
AntioxidantCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tocopherol, Ceramide EOP
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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.
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Lauroyl Lactylate (SLL) is a mild, plant-derived surfactant made by combining lauric acid with lactic acid.
It has two main jobs in a formula:
A perk of this ingredient is that it leaves skin feeling soft and silky after rinsing. This is why you'll even see it in baby washes.
Another perk?
The lauric acid backbone gives it mild antimicrobial activity and lauric acid itself has been shown to suppress acne-causing bacteria in lab studies.
In 2023, scientists took a close look at how SLL behaves and found it can break apart the fatty outer layers of cells. This is basically why it cleans well and can fight off certain microbes.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel has reviewed it and concluded it's safe as used.
A 2017 survey showed concentrations up to 10% are used in rinse-off cleansers and roughly 0.5-5% being typical in skincare.
Animal and reconstructed-skin testing found it to be non-irritating at 10%, and it's well tolerated even on sensitive skin. The only caveat is to patch test if you have a lactic acid allergy.
As a lactylate salt used at low co-emulsifier concentrations, this ingredient is less likely to break down and release free lauric acid on skin. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl LactylateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum