Simple Skincare Replenishing Face Cream Cleanser Versus Dot & Key Skincare Barrier Repair Gentle Hydrating Face Wash
This mild cream cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.
This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while respecting your skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate
CleansingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Methyltaurate
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Surfactant
Pantolactone
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Lauroyl Taurate, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide Mea, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Lauric Acid, Sodium Methyltaurate, Stearic Acid, Cetrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Pantolactone
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Triethanolamine, Panthenol, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Lactobacillus, Maltodextrin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol 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 PanthenolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
