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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser versus Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion .

Last updated on September 07, 2023. Published on June 06, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both face cleansers. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Free From

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

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 American Brand United States
Face Cleanser French Brand France

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

Shop

Buy Gentle Facial Cleanser

Starts at $8.05
Shop

Buy Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion

Starts at $19.20

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

Benefits

Hydrating
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger
Rosacea
Eczema

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
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Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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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

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Cleansing, Foaming
Community Rating: Disliked

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. Coco-Glucoside is considered gentle and non-comedogenic.

This ingredient is a known skin-irritant.

Learn more about Coco-Glucoside

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.

Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion contains this as ingredient number 6.

3
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.

Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion contains this as ingredient number 5.

4
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium 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 Hydroxide

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.

Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion contains this as ingredient number 13.

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

25% are loved or liked
33% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
29% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
29% are disliked or very disliked
29% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser 12 ingredients

3.8 /5
from 24 reviews
kyniwi's Avatar'
Jan 28, 2024

Good for fungal acne but it’s pretty drying. I have dry skin so it’s not the best for me. I’ll be finishing the bottle I have then switching out for something less drying. It’s been good on my fungal acne journey, plus it’s not...

Good for fungal acne but it’s pretty drying. I have dry skin so it’s not the best for me. I’ll be finishing the bottle I have then switching out for something less drying. It’s been good on my fungal acne journey, plus it’s not irritating on my sensitive skin. It’s got simple ingredients but yeah.. drying.

Great Value
Drying
No Scent
Lylz777's Avatar'
Apr 27, 2023

Made all of my skincare itchy
My derm recommended this because i have super sensitive skin. It was fine. No initial reaction. But i noticed all of my skincare that I used afterwards made me itchy. I ended up switching out most of my...

Made all of my skincare itchy
My derm recommended this because i have super sensitive skin. It was fine. No initial reaction. But i noticed all of my skincare that I used afterwards made me itchy. I ended up switching out most of my products trying to get rid of the itch, never realizing this was the culprit. After I stopped using it, i tried some of the old products again and there was no itching.

Jimbo's Avatar'
Oct 31, 2023

Cleans the skin, doesn't burn or make my skin red, and doesn't cause any skin tightness for me. A permanent staple in my routines.

Cleans the skin, doesn't burn or make my skin red, and doesn't cause any skin tightness for me. A permanent staple in my routines.

Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion 14 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 3 reviews
blima1998's Avatar'
Mar 31, 2024

Amazing cleanser for sensitive skin! Skin doesn't feel dry after and almost feels moisturized with this cleanser. Not very tough on removing makeup so I do recommend using micellar water / makeup remover before since this product is so...

Amazing cleanser for sensitive skin! Skin doesn't feel dry after and almost feels moisturized with this cleanser. Not very tough on removing makeup so I do recommend using micellar water / makeup remover before since this product is so gentle. But I am soo happy with this product it's I think the first cleanser that does 0 irritation for me

Great Value
Hydrating
Light
Works Well
g.nce_'s Avatar'
Dec 31, 2022

Helped my damaged skin barrier!
This was the only cleanser that helped my face when my skin barrier was damaged. I've tried multiple gentle cleansers but they don't do much to sooth my irritated skin. This is gentle, soothing, doesn't...

Helped my damaged skin barrier!
This was the only cleanser that helped my face when my skin barrier was damaged. I've tried multiple gentle cleansers but they don't do much to sooth my irritated skin. This is gentle, soothing, doesn't leave behind any film, my face doesn't feel tight after, and has helped to reduce the uneven bumps on my face. Surprisingly cleanses my oily skin well. What a life saver!

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion.

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