Versus

Benzac AC Moderate Strength 5% Acne Gel Versus Clean & Clear Persa-Gel10 Acne Medication

Facial Treatment
Facial Treatment
Australian Brand Australia
American Brand United States

Updated on December 13, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain benzoyl peroxide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Benzoyl Peroxide is famous for fighting acne. This is because it does a variety of tasks on the skin: it helps reduce excess oil, kill bacteria, and clear out dead skin cells. In other words, it is effective at unclogging pores.

These properties make it great at fighting different types of acne, including cystic and inflammatory types of acne.

When targeting the bacteria in your pores, Benzoyl Peroxide has been shown to kill the bacteria without causing sensitivity. It also helps keep your skin's natural bacteria and biome balanced. Having a healthy biome protects your skin from external harmful factors.

Once Benzoyl Peroxide is absorbed into the skin, our bodies turn it into benzoic acid and quickly exits in urine.

When using Benzoyl Peroxide, it may be irritating for some people due to a variety of reasons, such as a broken skin barrier or just an allergic reaction. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.

Learn more about Benzoyl Peroxide

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Buffering

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

When to use

173 Routines
33% use in am
66% use in pm
83% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
113 Routines
35% use in am
65% use in pm
70% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Benzac AC Moderate Strength 5% Acne Gel 9 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 2 ratings
Great Value (1) Irritating (1)
ashlynx's avatar

JC

2 months ago
Review

Ruined my skin barrier, but made my skin clear 😭

#great value
#irritating

Clean & Clear Persa-Gel10 Acne Medication 7 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 3 ratings
Drying (1) Irritating (1) No Scent (1)
andreaf3676's avatar

andreaf3676

2 years ago
Review

Love! Buuuut…
I love this product!!! Matched with some pimple patches and it’s like my pimples were never there! But it can leave a while residue on your face so I recommend using it before bed.

binxroth's avatar

cloud

9 months ago
Review

It dries out and gets rid of my acne but be careful and only apply it to your acne in small amounts directly on the acne. I used it on a cluster I had forming and it immediately started to become irritated and stung I had to rub half of it off and put some more of my soothing skincare on that spot for it to stop hurting.

Also, be aware that its able to bleach clothes and towels so try to not Show more

#drying
#irritating
#no scent
#works well