Liz Earle Cleanse & Glow Transforming Gel Cleanser Versus No7 Radiance+ Vitamin C Daily Brightening Moisturizer
This oil-based cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.
This brightening day moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Tocopheryl Acetate to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningSafflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-4 Esters
CleansingSucrose Stearate
EmollientSucrose Laurate
EmollientSambucus Nigra Seed Oil
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningMalpighia Glabra Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantZymomonas Ferment Extract
HumectantMel
EmollientMaltodextrin
AbsorbentLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingParfum
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Water, Safflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-4 Esters, Sucrose Stearate, Sucrose Laurate, Sambucus Nigra Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Juice, Tocopherol, Zymomonas Ferment Extract, Mel, Maltodextrin, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Citral, Citronellol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientEthylhexyl Stearate
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePanthenol
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingPropylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
ChelatingPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientMorus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMethyl Benzoate
PerfumingCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Alcohol Denat., Ascorbyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Methyl Benzoate, CI 19140, CI 14700
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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