This mild foaming cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin.
This acne treatment is formulated around Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate and Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCoco-Glucoside
CleansingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingCitrus Limon Fruit Water
MaskingSodium Cocoyl Alaninate
SurfactantClitoria Ternatea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantSaccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Citratus Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantZinc PCA
HumectantMaris Sal
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingParfum
MaskingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Citrus Limon Fruit Water, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Clitoria Ternatea Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Cymbopogon Citratus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zinc PCA, Maris Sal, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPropylene Glycol
HumectantIsostearyl Lactate
EmollientAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentPolyquaternium-37
Alcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPeat Extract
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientParfum
MaskingSalicylic Acid
MaskingZinc PCA
HumectantPotassium Phosphate
BufferingCinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract
AntimicrobialCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sarcosine
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCommiphora Myrrha Resin Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventBenzoic Acid
MaskingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Isostearyl Lactate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Polyquaternium-37, Alcohol Denat., Peat Extract, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Parfum, Salicylic Acid, Zinc PCA, Potassium Phosphate, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Capryloyl Glycine, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sarcosine, Hexylene Glycol, Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract, Citric Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Methylpropanediol, Benzoic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 ParfumWater. 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 WaterZinc PCA is a clever two-in-one molecule: the zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA).
Think of it as two useful things bonded together; the PCA half is one of your skin's own natural moisturizing factors (NMF) so it helps hold water in the upper layers. On the other hand, the zinc half does the heavy lifting on oil and bacteria.
The zinc part slows down an enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT, the hormone that tells your oil glands to pump out more sebum. Less of that signal means less oil. It also gently fights acne-causing bacteria and soothes redness/irritation.
This is why Zinc PCA often shows up in products for oily, breakout-prone skin and greasy scalps.
One lab study also hinted it might have a small anti-aging perk because it seemed to protect collagen from UVA damage and even helped the skin make a bit more of it. That last bit is still early research done in a dish and not real skin, so take it as a nice bonus rather than a promise for now.
As for scar healing, the picture is more "maybe" than a firm yes. Zinc itself plays a real role in wound repair because it is a cofactor for the enzymes involved in collagen building, calming inflammation, and helping new skin cells cover a wound. Lower zinc levels are also linked to slower healing.
Most of the scar healing research is on zinc oxide or oral zinc rather than zinc PCA specifically, with a focus on healing fresh wounds instead of scars that are already there.
Direct evidence that zinc PCA improves the look of established scars is still limited at this time. Though it would be fair to say zinc PCA supports the general skin-repair environment thanks to its zinc content .
This ingredient is water-soluble and plays nicely with other actives like niacinamide and salicylic acid. It works best at mildly acidic formulas (~4-6 pH) and is effective at low levels. Around 0.1% is enough to be active and finished products commonly use it anywhere up to 4%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-drama multitasker that suits oily and acne-prone skin.
Learn more about Zinc PCA