Versus

Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-To-Cream Cleanser Versus I'm from Mugwort Gel Cleanser

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
American Brand United States
Korean Brand South Korea

Updated on July 18, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Defense Hydrating Gel-To-Cream Cleanser

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Masking

Chances 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.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

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 EDTA

When to use

41 Routines
44% use in am
56% use in pm
90% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
70 Routines
47% use in am
53% use in pm
94% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-To-Cream Cleanser 48 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Great Value (1) No Scent (1) Works Well (1)
samanthamary's avatar

Samantha Dyer

7 months ago
Review

Another great cleanser from Paula's Choice. I tend to favour this cleanser in the summer as it is very foamy and could worsen my dryness in the winter but if I need a deep clean I know I can count on this product. It has no scent and you only need a tiny amount so the value for money is great. I've repurchased this several times and absolutely love it.

#great value
#no scent
#works well

I'm from Mugwort Gel Cleanser 23 ingredients

2.7 /5
from 3 ratings
Strong Scent (2) Expensive (1) Light (1)
RemiShen's avatar

Remi Shen

1 year ago
Review

I really like this cleanser. It's nice to use with my sensitive, dry skin, and it doesn't leave me feeling squeaky clean, which is nice. I bought it on sale for about $5 CDN, so for a reasonable sale price, it's a lovely cleanser. I took one star off because it has a powerful smell of mugwort.

#strong scent
#works well
danielamuoz's avatar

Daniela

8 months ago
Review

Its texture is like jelly, which makes it difficult to create foam and ended up using either too much or too little each time. It feels light and doesn’t irritate the skin. I find it a bit expensive, though. For reference, I have dry to normal skin.

#expensive
#light
#strong scent