Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Merle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser versus Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream .
Published on January 18, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Face Cleanser
Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).
Night Moisturizer
Night Moisturizers are marketed to hydrate the skin overnight.
Ingredient Info
Merle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser 34 ingredients
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream 52 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Merle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser 34 ingredients
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream 52 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Merle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser 34 ingredients
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream 52 ingredients
Water • Myristic Acid • Glycerin • Stearic Acid • Potassium Hydroxide • Lauric Acid • Dipropylene Glycol • Sorbitol • Glycol Distearate • Peg-32 • Peg-6 • Peg-60 Glyceryl Isostearate • Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate • Glyceryl Stearate • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Tocopheryl Acetate • Hydrolyzed Soy Protein • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Palmitoyl Hydroxypropyltrimonium Amylopectin/Glycerin Crosspolymer • Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract • Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Morus Bombycis Root Extract • Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract • Lecithin • Sodium Hyaluronate • Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract • Butylene Glycol • Methylisothiazolinone • Caprylyl Glycol • Propylene Glycol • Disodium EDTA • Trisodium EDTA • Parfum
Water • Hydrogenated Polyisobutene • Glyceryl Stearate • Squalane • Myristyl Myristate • Glycerin • Cetyl Alcohol • Dimethicone • Ethylhexyl Stearate • Cyclopentasiloxane • Cyclohexasiloxane • Sorbitol • Stearic Acid • Peg-40 Stearate • Sorbitan Tristearate • Saccharide Isomerate • Superoxide Dismutase • Ceramide NP • C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters • Zea Mays Kernel Extract • Glyceryl Polymethacrylate • Glycyrrhetinic Acid • Hyaluronic Acid • Centella Asiatica Extract • Echinacea Purpurea Extract • Sodium Hyaluronate • Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract • Ascorbic Acid/Orange/Citrus Limon/Citrus Aurantifolia Polypeptides • Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride • Tocopheryl Acetate • Isocetyl Alcohol • Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 • Folic Acid • Pyridoxine Hcl • Proline • Glycine • Palmitoyl Carnitine • PCA • Alanine • Glutamic Acid • Serine • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Lecithin • Polyquaternium-24 • Peg-8 • Butylene Glycol • Triethanolamine • Diazolidinyl Urea • Phenoxyethanol • Tetrasodium EDTA • Disodium EDTA • Parfum
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycerin 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 GlycerinMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.
As an emollient, stearic acid helps soften skin. It aids the skin's protective barrier by preventing water loss. It also provides a gentle cleansing effect without stripping away natural oils.
Stearic acid may also be used to enhance the texture of products. It can add volume and stabilize ingredients such as water and oil. This can help water and oil ingredients from separating.
Sources of stearic acid include animal or vegetable fats/oils such as coconut or shea. It can be naturally found in butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, vegetable fats, and animal tallow.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 4.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 13.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
Most sorbitol is usually made from potato starch. It is also found in fruits such as apples and pears.
As a humectant, Sorbitol helps draw water to the skin. This helps keep the skin hydrated. Sorbitol also helps create a thicker texture in products. You might find sorbitol in your toothpaste and other gels.
It is a non-irritating ingredient that is great for those with dry skin.
Sorbitol is a prebiotic. It helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria on your skin. The bacteria on your skin form a microbiome. This microbiome helps protect your skin from infection and harmful bacteria.
Learn more about SorbitolMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
Glyceryl Stearate is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced. The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 14.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 3.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 16.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 30.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.
Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin. The phospholipids in Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
Learn more about LecithinMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 25.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 43.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 26.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 26.
Butylene 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.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Merle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 28.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 46.
Disodium 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 EDTAMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 32.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 51.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, 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.
In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. 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. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.
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 ParfumMerle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 34.
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream contains this as ingredient number 52.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Merle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser 34 ingredients
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream 52 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Merle Norman Brilliant-C Cleanser 34 ingredients
Merle Norman Nighttime Recovery Cream 52 ingredients
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