Neutrogena Deep Clean Brightening Foaming Cleanser Versus Dr. Sensitive Collagen & Vitamin C Serum Cleanser
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Acrylates Copolymer
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Myristic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Acrylates Copolymer, Niacinamide, Lauric Acid, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocomonoglyceride Sulfonate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Cocamide DEA
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Sodium Cocomonoglyceride Sulfonate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Cocamide DEA, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Hydrolyzed Collagen, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
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 BetaineDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPeg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate is used to improve texture and stability of a product. It is sugar based and helps thicken a product.
Once applied, it also creates a thin film to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
This ingredient is the polyethylene glycol ether of the diester of oleic acid and methylglucose. The 120 represents an average of 120 moles of ethylene oxide.
There is limited research on this ingredient, although it is considered safe to use in skincare products.
Learn more about PEG-120 Methyl Glucose DioleatePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
