Acnes Creamy Wash Versus OXY Malaysia Acne Wash
This glycolic acid gel cleanser is formulated around Glycolic Acid to exfoliate and smooth skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Olea Europaea Husk Oil
Skin Conditioning
Lauramide DEA
SurfactantPotassium Lauroyl Glutamate
CleansingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Potassium Chloride
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingLactic Acid
Buffering
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, PEG-2 Stearate, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Olea Europaea Husk Oil, Lauramide DEA, Potassium Lauroyl Glutamate, Alcohol, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol, Sodium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, CI 77288, CI 77492
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingPEG-8
HumectantCocamide DEA
Emulsifying
Acrylates Copolymer
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-63
Skin ConditioningPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Caprate
EmollientLaureth-23
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Propylparaben
Preservative
PCA
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, PEG-8, Cocamide DEA, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycol Distearate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Hydroxide, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-63, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glyceryl Caprate, Laureth-23, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycolic Acid, Betaine, Methylparaben, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Sodium PCA, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Propylparaben, PCA, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source. Even though "fungal acne" has the word "acne" in it, they are completely different. Regular acne is driven by a bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes, clogged pores, and excess oil. Fungal acne isn't really acne; it's caused by an overgrowth of a yeast called Malassezia that already lives on everyone's skin. Because one is bacterial and the other is fungal, they respond to different ingredients.
Learn more about Lauric AcidThis ingredient is more commonly known as IPMP or Isopropyl Methylphenol. It is a preservative and has antimicrobial properties.
According to the EPA, this ingredient is allowed for use in cleansers, creams, powders, bath products, toothpaste, perfume, and more.
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.
Learn more about ParfumPotassium Hydroxide (also known as potash) is a strong alkaline ingredient that does one job: it nudges a product's pH up so the whole formula lands in a skin-friendly range.
It's also the base that turns oils into liquid soap during the soap making process.
An expert safety panel reviewed it and found it safe when formulations are made to be non-irritating.
As a pH adjuster, it's typically used well under 1% though regulatory caps go much higher: 5% in nail cuticle removers and 2-4.5% in hair straighteners.
Though there is some concern for irritation from raw or high pH material, a well-balanced formula will be a non-issue for the vast majority of people.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
