Panoxyl Acne Creamy Wash Benzoyl Peroxide 4% Daily Control Versus Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-To-Cream Cleanser
This benzoyl peroxide cream cleanser is formulated around Benzoyl Peroxide to clear breakouts and help reduce acne-causing bacteria.
This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Benzoyl Peroxide 4%
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingDimethicone
EmollientDiethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantPalmitic Acid
EmollientPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
SolventWater
Skin ConditioningSilica
AbrasiveSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingSorbitol
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoyl Peroxide 4%, Carbomer, Decyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, PEG-40 Stearate, Propanediol, Water, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Sorbitan Stearate, Sorbitol, Stearic Acid, T-Butyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantSorbeth-230 Tetraoleate
EmulsifyingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingLactic Acid
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingSorbitan Laurate
EmulsifyingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCocoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingArginine
MaskingGlycine Soja Sterols
EmollientLinoleic Acid
CleansingPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningAspartic Acid
MaskingPCA
HumectantGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingSerine
MaskingValine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Potassium Citrate
BufferingLactoperoxidase
StabilisingHistidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingGlucose Oxidase
StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate, Decyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lauric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocoyl Proline, Sodium Citrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Glycine Soja Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Potassium Citrate, Lactoperoxidase, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glucose Oxidase, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Decyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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