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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel versus Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam .

Published on June 25, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols or parabens

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens and fragrances

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 British Brand United Kingdom
Face Cleanser American Brand United States

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

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger (3)
Rosacea
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Glycerin

Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 2.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam contains this as ingredient number 6.

3
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Glycol Distearate serves as a pearlizing or opacifying agent in cosmetic products.

It's often included in cleansers and haircare products to give them a lustrous or shimmering appearance.

It is derived from stearic acid, a natural fatty acid commonly found in vegetable oils and animal fats.

Glycol Distearate isn't fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Glycol Distearate

Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 8.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam contains this as ingredient number 5.

4
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

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 Sorbate

Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 17.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam contains this as ingredient number 33.

5
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 19.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam contains this as ingredient number 26.

6
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.

Linalool has the same effect as Limonene when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.

Linalool has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.

Learn more about Linalool

Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 26.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam contains this as ingredient number 37.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 31.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam contains this as ingredient number 31.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

27% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
43% are disliked or very disliked
22% have no rating yet
29% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
45% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Symbiosis London Enlightening & Exfoliating Cleansing Gel.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 4 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam.

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