This benzoyl peroxide cream cleanser is formulated around Benzoyl Peroxide to clear breakouts and help reduce acne-causing bacteria.
This brightening serum is formulated around Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract and Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Citrate
BufferingCeteareth-20
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Sodium Citrate, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Niacinamide, Ceramide Ng, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Sprout Cell Extract
Skin ConditioningCopaifera Officinalis Resin
MaskingArctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Isomalt
HumectantSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Sorbitol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Phospholipids, Argania Spinosa Sprout Cell Extract, Copaifera Officinalis Resin, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Isomalt, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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!
Learn more about Water
