ZO Skin Health Hydrating Cleanser Versus Biologique Recherche Lait Vip 02

ZO Skin Health Hydrating Cleanser Versus Biologique Recherche Lait Vip 02

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

This cream cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Glycerin

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Stearic Acid

Glycol Distearate

Palmitic Acid

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate

Acrylates Copolymer

Sodium Chloride

Panthenol

Allantoin

Sodium PCA

Urea

Trehalose

Polyquaternium-51

Triacetin

Myristyl Alcohol

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Carbonate

Sodium Hydroxide

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Parfum

CI 17200

CI 15985

Citronellol

Hexyl Cinnamal

Limonene

Linalool

Water, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Palmitic Acid, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol, Allantoin, Sodium PCA, Urea, Trehalose, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, CI 17200, CI 15985, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool

Squalane

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetearyl Isononanoate

Amniotic Fluid

Perfluorodecalin

PEG-20 Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Ceteareth-20

Propylene Glycol

Polyacrylamide

Cetyl Palmitate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Alcohol Denat.

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Ethyl Oleate

Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether

Ethyl Linolenate

Poloxamer 188

Laureth-7

Hydrolyzed Gelatin

Niacinamide

Lactic Acid

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Hydrolyzed Silk

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Yeast Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Embryo Extract

Magnesium Chloride

Vinegar

Tea-Lactate

Salicylic Acid

Sodium Lactate

Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract

Alcohol

Sorbitol

Ethyl Linoleate

Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract

Papain

Myrtus Communis Extract

Allium Cepa Bulb Extract

Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Serine

Rhizobian Gum

Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract

Tocopherol

Potassium Sorbate

Chlorphenesin

Thiamine Hcl

Pyridoxine Hcl

Sodium Salicylate

Sorbic Acid

Water, Squalane, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Amniotic Fluid, Perfluorodecalin, PEG-20 Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Cetyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alcohol Denat., C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ethyl Oleate, Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether, Ethyl Linolenate, Poloxamer 188, Laureth-7, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Niacinamide, Lactic Acid, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Yeast Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Embryo Extract, Magnesium Chloride, Vinegar, Tea-Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Alcohol, Sorbitol, Ethyl Linoleate, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Papain, Myrtus Communis Extract, Allium Cepa Bulb Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Serine, Urea, Allantoin, Rhizobian Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Thiamine Hcl, Pyridoxine Hcl, Sodium Salicylate, Sorbic Acid

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.

As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.

Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.

In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.

Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.

Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.

Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:

Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.

Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.

As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.

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!

Similar Comparisons