Origins Clear Improvement™ Pore Clearing Moisturizer With Bamboo Charcoal Versus The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
This pore-care moisturizer is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Charcoal Powder to refine the look of pores and clear breakouts.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Arginine to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 1%
Masking
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
PPG-14 Butyl Ether
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Steareth-21
CleansingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Astringent
Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Eugenia Caryophyllus Bud Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract
AstringentCharcoal Powder
Abrasive
Porphyra Yezoensis Extract
Skin ConditioningSucrose
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Algae Extract
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Glucosamine Hcl
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin Protecting
Glycine Soja Seed
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingZinc PCA
Humectant
Quaternium-22
Menthol
Masking
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Salicylic Acid 1%, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, PPG-14 Butyl Ether, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Dimethicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Silica, Steareth-21, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus Bud Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Eugenol, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Charcoal Powder, Porphyra Yezoensis Extract, Sucrose, Glycine, Algae Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Caffeine, Glucosamine Hcl, Sodium Hyaluronate, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Glycine Soja Seed, Butylene Glycol, Steareth-2, Zinc PCA, Quaternium-22, Menthol, Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Maltose
MaskingFructose
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingIsoceteth-20
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Trehalose, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lecithin, Triolein, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Isoceteth-20, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Phenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 Hyaluronate
