Versus

SebaMed Clear Face Antibacterial Cleansing Foam Versus Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser - US

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
German Brand Germany
American Brand United States

Updated on October 03, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe 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 sensitive skin

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances

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

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

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
Skin Conditioning

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Learn more about Panthenol
Masking, Perfuming

Parfum 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 Parfum
Masking, Preservative

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 Benzoate

When to use

117 Routines
45% use in am
55% use in pm
99% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
2,764 Routines
49% use in am
51% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

SebaMed Clear Face Antibacterial Cleansing Foam 8 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 3 ratings
Great Value (1) Light Scent (1) No Scent (1)
renatatjan's avatar

Renata

9 months ago
Review

Been using this for years but honestly, when it comes to fighting acne, this cleanser doesn't seem to have any effect on my skin. It leaves a somewhat "filmy" feeling afterward, which wasn't a pleasant experience initially, but I'm starting to get used to it over time. Doesn't remove sunscreen or any light makeup. Just a regular gentle and malassezia safe cleanser that doesn't exacerbate my skin Show more

#light scent
ShwethaRamakrishnan_682's avatar
Review

Does its job
Not stripping, cleanses well.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser 13 ingredients

2.1 /5
from 21 ratings
Great Value (6) Light (6) Works Well (5)
kamiisamas's avatar

kamiisamas

1 year ago
Review

cetaphil we have beef now
ah, cetaphil. one of my first long term face washes. after actually paying attention to what it did, i realized it made my oil production worse and caused a good number of pimples. it IS gentle, but almost TOO gentle for me? my dermatologist ended up telling me it wasn't good for my skin, so combo skin people keep an eye out i guess.

gmyneutron's avatar

gmyneutron

1 year ago
Review

Not fragrance-free
Made my skin itchy and tight. Smells like powder. In terms of accessibility here in the Philippines, it's only sold in the US(PH variant is the Oily skin cleanser) also not available in our e-com stores like Shopee & Lazada. For it's price, not worth it.