Bubble Super Clear Acne Treating Serum 2% Salicylic Acid Versus First Aid Beauty Acne Spot Treatment Gel 2% Salicylic Acid
This acne serum is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract to clear breakouts and refine the look of pores.
This acne treatment is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Urea to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingZinc PCA
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil
Emollient
Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSalix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Zinc PCA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycolic Acid, Urea, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Bisabolol, Colloidal Oatmeal, Maltodextrin, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Phosphate, Citric Acid
Reviews
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.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
Learn more about Citric AcidAccording to INCI standards, this ingredient refers to the physical ground up oatmeal. If you are looking for colloidal oatmeal in skincare, you'll most likely see Avena Sativa Kernel Extract on your ingredient list.
Physical colloidal oatmeal is an abrasive meaning it provides physical exfoliation.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWe don't have a description for Salix Nigra Bark Extract yet.
Water. 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
