What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 1.8%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-1
EmollientGaultheria Procumbens Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sambucus Nigra Fruit Juice
AstringentSpiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Salicylic Acid 1.8%, Water, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-1, Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Azelaic Acid, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Zinc PCA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Juice, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningSulfur
Antiseborrhoeic
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingBentonite
Absorbent
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-2 Caprate
EmulsifyingOlive Oil Glycereth-8 Esters
Emollient
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Leptospermum Scoparium Branch/Leaf Oil
Tonic
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAmber Powder
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Solanum Lycopersicum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicQuartz
Abrasive
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Sulfur, Isoamyl Laurate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Acacia Senegal Gum, Bentonite, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Olive Oil Glycereth-8 Esters, Zinc PCA, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Leptospermum Scoparium Branch/Leaf Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Amber Powder, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Quartz, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Alcohol Denat., Chlorphenesin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizatePhenoxyethanol 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 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
