Versus

Benzac AC Moderate Strength 5% Acne Gel Versus Malezia Acne Treatment Gel (2.5% Micronized Benzoyl Peroxide)

Facial Treatment
Facial Treatment
Australian Brand Australia
American Brand United States

Updated on December 13, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free, 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, dry skin and brightening skin

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
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.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin
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

172 Routines
33% use in am
67% use in pm
83% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
229 Routines
32% use in am
68% use in pm
76% 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

Malezia Acne Treatment Gel (2.5% Micronized Benzoyl Peroxide) 7 ingredients

4.4 /5
from 11 ratings
Light (7) Absorbs Well (7) Works Well (6)
danaking's avatar

Dana King

2 days ago
Review

Criminally underrated product; so much more gentle than other BP products on the market while still effective. I’m on my third or fourth tube and will continue to re-buy.

#light
#absorbs well
#works well
ThrowMeAway's avatar

ThrowMeAway

2 months ago
Review

THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!! Y’all, I have been using acne.org bp for a long time now. The price was always right for the amount but I noticed it’d aggravate my skin once I started tazortene. I already use Malezia’s cleanser and moisturizer so I decided to get their bp. It’s FAR superior to any bp I’ve tried. The formulation is moisturizing and feels great on the skin. It doesn’t aggravate my skin and it Show more

#hydrating
#absorbs well
#no scent
#works well