Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash Versus Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
Updated on August 13, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain common allergens, fragrances and oils
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
Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash 21 ingredients
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel 25 ingredients
About this product
About this product
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash 21 ingredients
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel 25 ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG/PPG-8/3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
Silicone Quaternium-8
Saponins
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG/PPG-8/3 Diisostearate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Silicone Quaternium-8, Saponins, Butylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Zinc PCA, Citric Acid, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citronellal
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPropanediol
SolventCitric Acid
Buffering
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citronellal, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Propanediol, Citric Acid, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Disodium EDTA, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a cleansing agent made from a mixture of long chain sulfonate salts. It can also help produce foam.
This ingredient may be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
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 is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
- It has mild preservative properties.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange. It is native to Italy.
This ingredient is used to add fragrance to products. It contains limonene, linalool, and linalyl acetate.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to its furanocoumarins. Photosensitizers make the skin and eyes much more sensitive to sunlight. Photosensitizers are linked to skin cancer.
However, more cosmetics using Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil are removing the furanocoumarins.
Bergamot oil was also found to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit OilLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because it contains linalool, a known allergen.
However, lavender essential oil has shown to have anti-inflammatory activity due to its prostanoid and histamine content. Its leaves also exhibit antibacterial properties.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilDisodium 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 EDTASodium 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 BenzoateCitric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and even out skin tone.
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash 21 ingredients
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel 25 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash 21 ingredients
Honestly can’t tell if it’s doing anything but it smells nice
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel 25 ingredients
Good cleanser, but I don’t recommend using twice a day. I have combination skin and using this twice a day made my skin dry as a bone. I wasn’t using anything else besides moisturizer at the time, so I’m 100% certain it was this product causing it. Cutting back to just once a day seems to have helped but still a little on the dry side.
