Elemis Superfood Facial Wash Versus Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel Cleanser

Elemis Superfood Facial Wash Versus Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel Cleanser

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Glycerin

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Acrylates Copolymer

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Lactate

Coco-Glucoside

Glyceryl Oleate

Dicaprylyl Ether

Lauryl Alcohol

Sodium Chloride

Phenoxyethanol

Xanthan Gum

Persea Gratissima Oil

Chlorphenesin

Sodium Hydroxide

Citric Acid

Parfum

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide

Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil

Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil

Galactoarabinan

Disodium EDTA

Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil

Limonene

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Caramel

Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil

Urtica Dioica Juice

Cymbopogon Martini Oil

Geraniol

Linalool

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil

Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract

Triticum Aestivum Leaf Extract

Magnesium Aspartate

Zinc Gluconate

Maltodextrin

Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex

Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate

Tocopherol

Copper Gluconate

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Ascorbic Acid

Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lactate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Lauryl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Persea Gratissima Oil, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Parfum, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Galactoarabinan, Disodium EDTA, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Limonene, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caramel, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Urtica Dioica Juice, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Geraniol, Linalool, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Triticum Aestivum Leaf Extract, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Maltodextrin, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Tocopherol, Copper Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate

Sodium Lauroamphoacetate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Arginine

Aspartic Acid

Glycine

Alanine

Serine

Valine

Proline

Threonine

Isoleucine

Histidine

Phenylalanine

Sodium PCA

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sea Salt

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

PCA

Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Water, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sea Salt, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, PCA, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Limonene

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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.

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.

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.

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.

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.

When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

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.

Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.

This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.

High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.

Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.

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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