Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser versus The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser .
Last updated on September 13, 2023. Published on November 05, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates
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).
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).
Price
Ingredient Info
Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser 48 ingredients
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser 19 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
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 🎉
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
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 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser 48 ingredients
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser 19 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser 48 ingredients
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser 19 ingredients
Water • 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 • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Cocoyl Proline • Sodium Citrate • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • 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
Water • Coco-Glucoside • Glycerin • Butylene Glycol • Xanthan Gum • Phenoxyethanol • Benzyl Alcohol • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Peat • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate • Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate • Disodium EDTA • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil • Dehydroacetic Acid • Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract • Potassium Sorbate
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 WaterPaula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser 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 GlycerinPaula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.
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 EDTAPaula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 14.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuicePaula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
Within a product, Caprylic Triglyceride can thicken the product and make spreadability easier by dissolving clumping compounds. An added benefit of Caprylic Triglyceride is its antioxidant properties.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Caprylic Triglyceride has not been found to be toxic for human use in concentrations under 50%.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglyceridePaula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractPaula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 23.
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 45.
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
Potassium sorbate is potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
Potassium sorbate is often used with stronger preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbatePaula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 47.
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser 48 ingredients
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser 19 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser 48 ingredients
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser 19 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Paula's Choice Defense Hydrating Gel-to-Cream Cleanser 48 ingredients
The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser 19 ingredients
tlluto
gentle cleansing + remove the residue of the make up so well + smoothing + calming my skin + for me is pretty hydrating which is weird cause it’s...
gentle cleansing + remove the residue of the make up so well + smoothing + calming my skin + for me is pretty hydrating which is weird cause it’s an acid cleanser ! + a little bit of brightening
* i have dry / sensitive / acne prone skin
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