The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser Versus Tula Skincare The Cult Classic Purifying Face Cleanser
This cream cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Polyquaternium-10
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Inulin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingDisteareth-75 Ipdi
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Cichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingCamelina Sativa Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Lactose
HumectantLactis Proteinum
Skin ConditioningYogurt Powder
Olus Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingGlutaral
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingParfum
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Chloride, Disteareth-75 Ipdi, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Lactose, Lactis Proteinum, Yogurt Powder, Olus Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Inulin, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glutaral, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Coco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinInulin is a polysaccharide (carbohydrate) with prebiotic and antioxidant properties.
The majority of inulin is extracted from chicory, but can also be obtained from other plants such as garlic, onion, asparagus, and sugarcane.
Studies show inulin may help with controlling your skin's natural microbiota when applied topically.
The antioxidant potential of inulin varies depending on the source.
Learn more about InulinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 HydroxideTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
