Philosophy Oil-Free Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Cleanser Clear Days Ahead Versus Fresh Soy Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser
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
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Acrylates Crosspolymer-4
Emulsion StabilisingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Disodium Capryloyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Sulfate
Potassium Chloride
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrogen Peroxide
AntimicrobialPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Acrylates Crosspolymer-4, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polysorbate 20, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Panthenol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Disodium Capryloyl Glutamate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrogen Peroxide, Propylene Glycol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, O-Cymen-5-Ol
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Rosa Damascena Extract
MaskingRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Coco-Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Rosa Damascena Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Silica, Citric Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Caramel, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters (HJE) are an emollient and skin-conditioning agent made by breaking down jojoba oil into a blend of fatty acids and fatty alcohols.
Jojoba is pretty cool because it's a liquid wax ester rather than a triglyceride like most plant oils. Its structure closely resembles the wax esters in human sebum so it slots nicely into the skin's own lipid layer.
In cosmetics, HJE works mainly to soften skin, reinforce the barrier, and lock in moisture by reducing water loss. This ingredient also holds onto the skin even after rinsing which is why you'll see it in cleansers or wipes.
There's a decent clinical backing for the moisturizing claims: a small controlled study found that pairing HJE with glycerin lowered transepidermal water loss significantly than glycerin alone (and this effect lasted up to 24 hours).
Follow-up work showed HJE appear to "trap" glycerin in the film they form on skin to boost its hydrating power.
Typical use levels are low: the glycering-synergy research used around 1.25% (a common pairing is roughly 1.25% HJE and 3.75% glycerin).
This ingredient has been found safe as used in cosmetics with low irritation risk.
As for fungal acne, the fatty acids and alcohols in jojoba fall in roughly the C18-24 range. This overlaps the C11-24 window that Malassezia yeast can feed on in lab studies, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Jojoba EstersSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
