Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel Versus Biossance Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Cleanser

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel Versus Biossance Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Cleanser

This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Butylene Glycol

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract

Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Cymbopogon Nardus Oil

Glycerin

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Sodium Cocoamphoacetate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Propanediol

Citric Acid

O-Cymen-5-Ol

Disodium EDTA

PPG-5-Ceteth-20

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Cymbopogon Nardus Oil, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Propanediol, Citric Acid, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Disodium EDTA, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate

Squalane

Cocoyl Proline

Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil

Pelargonium Graveolens Oil

Salvia Sclarea Oil

Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

Medicago Sativa Extract

Sodium Levulinate

Caramel

Magnesium Chloride

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Gluconate

Citral

Citronellol

Linalool

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Squalane, Cocoyl Proline, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Medicago Sativa Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Caramel, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Citral, Citronellol, Linalool

Reviews

Alternatives

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.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is a synthetic cleansing agent, though it is derived from coconut oil.

It is used to enhance the texture of products by boosting lather and thickening the texture. As a cleanser, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is mild.

Glycerin (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.

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!

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