Pond's Bright Miracle Ultimate Clarity Niasorcinol Facial Foam Versus Acnes Creamy Wash Double Centella Asiatica
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
4-Ethylresorcinol
AntimicrobialRosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyquaternium-7
Disodium EDTA
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Water, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Lauric Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxystearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Niacinamide, 4-Ethylresorcinol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-7, Disodium EDTA, Piroctone Olamine, Arachidic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamide DEA
Emulsifying
Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyquaternium-7
Sodium Polyphosphate
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Erythorbate
Antioxidant
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Benzoate
Masking
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Butyl Avocadate
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Amylopectin
Dextrin
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Cocamide DEA, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Polyphosphate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Erythorbate, CI 77288, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77492, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Butyl Avocadate, Salicylic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Amylopectin, Dextrin, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycol Distearate is an emulsifier and emollient that adds a "pearly" appearance to formulations.
That lustrous look you see in many shampoos is due to this ingredient: when cooled, it crystallizes into small platelets that reflect light to give products that rich, shimmering look.
This ingredient is considered safe at present practices of use and concentration and repeated insult patch test with 50% Glycol Distearate on 125 subjects found no evidence of skin irritation, hypersensitivity, or acute toxicity.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.1-10%.
Because it's an ester of stearic acid, it falls into the range that Malassezia likes to metabolize. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Glycol DistearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.
Polyquaternium-7 is a light to clear colored liquid. It is commonly found in haircare products for its film-forming and anti-static properties.
According to a manufacturer, it is a non-paraben and specially developed for negatively charged surfactant systems. This makes it a great hairstyle holder and helps to improve wet hair detangling without adding buildup.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
