Educational guide
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup. This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine t
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DHC Deep Cleansing Oil Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.
This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Pentylene Glycol
Phenoxyethanol
Tocopherol
Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Water
Niacinamide 10%
Zinc PCA 1%
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum
Xanthan Gum
Isoceteth-20
Ethoxydiglycol
Chlorphenesin
Water, Niacinamide 10%, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA 1%, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Phenoxyethanol 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.