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Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser Versus La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Face Cleanser

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
American Brand United States
French Brand France

Updated on June 07, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both face cleansers. They have a total of 8 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, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

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

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Concerns

Notable Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Gentle Facial Cleanser
Water 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.

Glycerin Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon
2 Benefits

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Coco-Glucoside Cleansing, Foaming

Coco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.

Disliked Full details ->
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate Cleansing, Skin Conditioning

Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.

Acrylates Copolymer

Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.

Disliked Full details ->
Caprylyl Glycol Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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

Mica Cosmetic Colorant
May worsen Eczema Icon
May worsen EczemaMay worsen Eczema Icon

Mica refers to a group of silicate minerals. Mica crystals are easily split to give products a shimmer. These crystals are able to reflect light to temporarily give your skin a glowy look.

Very Disliked Full details ->
Sodium Chloride Masking
Can worsen Dry Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon
3 Concerns

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

Very Disliked Full details ->
1,2-Hexanediol Skin Conditioning, Solvent

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

Titanium Dioxide Cosmetic Colorant, UV Absorber, UV Filter
0 / 0 Mineral UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon
Mineral UV FilterMineral UV Filter Icon Non-Reef-SafeNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Titanium dioxide is known for its UVA and UVB protection properties. It is non-comedogenic and non-irritating. Titanium Dioxide is a physical sunscreen. Physical sunscreens reflect light and prevent it from reaching your skin.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Sodium Hydroxide Buffering

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.

Disodium EDTA

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

Disliked Full details ->
Toleriane Purifying Foaming Face Cleanser
Water 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.

Glycerin Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon
2 Benefits

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Coco-Betaine Cleansing, Skin Conditioning

Coco-Betaine is the natural version of Cocamidopropyl Betaine. It is often derived from coconuts.

Very Disliked Full details ->
Propanediol Solvent

Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.

Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate Cleansing, Skin Conditioning

Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.

Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon
Not safe for Fungal AcneNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate is used to improve texture and stability of a product. It is sugar based and helps thicken a product.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Very Disliked Full details ->
Sodium Chloride Masking
Can worsen Dry Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon
3 Concerns

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

Very Disliked Full details ->
Sodium Hydroxide Buffering

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.

Citric Acid Buffering, Masking
AHA IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon
AHAAHA Icon 4 Benefits 2 Concerns

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

Disliked Full details ->
Ceramide NP Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon
CeramideCeramide Icon 4 Benefits

Ceramide NP is a type of ceramide.

Niacinamide Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Dark Spots IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon
NiacinamideNiacinamide Icon 6 Benefits

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

Disodium EDTA

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

Disliked Full details ->
Capryloyl Glycine Cleansing

Capryloyl Glycine is created by adding an acyl group to glycine and caprylic acid chloride.

Caprylyl Glycol Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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

Acrylates Copolymer

Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.

Disliked Full details ->

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
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
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
Cleansing, Skin Conditioning
Mixed

Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.

As a surfactant, it helps clean your skin by gathering dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away more easily.

Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.

After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.

It is also used to make a product more thick.

Learn more about Acrylates Copolymer
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
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
Masking
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
Buffering
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
Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Ingredient Ratings

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

Gentle Facial Cleanser
3
4
5
liked
mixed
disliked
not rated
Toleriane Purifying Foaming Face Cleanser
6
3
6
liked
mixed
disliked
not rated

When to use

2,009 Routines
42% use in am
57% use in pm
97% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
2,044 Routines
46% use in am
54% use in pm
97% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser 12 ingredients

3.8 /5
from 25 ratings
Great Value (6) No Scent (6) Drying (5)
kyniwi's avatar

kyniwi

6 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

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...

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.

Lylz777's avatar

Lylz777

1 year ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

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...

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.

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Face Cleanser 15 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 18 ratings
Hydrating (2) No Scent (2) Works Well (2)
Albertorizzo006's avatar

Albertorizzo006

3 years ago · Combination Skin
Review

Leaves your skin...
I have been using this product for a week and I am really happy.
After the use you can feel your skin soft and deeply...

Leaves your skin...
I have been using this product for a week and I am really happy.
After the use you can feel your skin soft and deeply cleansed, it has fragrance but being a wash off treatment I don't see it as a problem and it leaves with a really fresh smell. Most cleanser has around 6.7 ounces of product, but this has 13.5 ounces.
I would raccomend this for people on a budget with combination/oily skin

LJ1's avatar

LJ1

3 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

I love this cleanser so much! I have oily, acne-prone skin and this helps clean any oil and dirt on my face without breaking me out. My skin always...

I love this cleanser so much! I have oily, acne-prone skin and this helps clean any oil and dirt on my face without breaking me out. My skin always feels nice and clean. I've tried many other cleansers and nothing has worked as great as this does. I have been using this for years and this will always be my go-to. If you have dry skin, do not use this as it may be too drying/stripping.