Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser versus La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin .
Last updated on August 04, 2023. Published on September 04, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, oils, parabens or silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Face Cleanser
Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).
Face Cleanser
Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).
Price
Ingredient Info
CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Salicylic Acid 2% • Water • Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine • Glycerin • Niacinamide • Gluconolactone • Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate • Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Carbomer • Calcium Gluconate • Triethyl Citrate • Sodium Benzoate • Sodium Hydroxide • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Cholesterol • Tetrasodium EDTA • Caprylyl Glycol • Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Xanthan Gum • Hectorite • Phytosphingosine • Benzoic Acid
Salicylic Acid 2% • Water • Sodium Laureth Sulfate • Decyl Glucoside • Glycerin • Sodium Chloride • Coco-Betaine • Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate • Hexylene Glycol • Sodium Hydroxide • Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides • Zinc Gluconate • Tetrasodium EDTA • Polyquaternium-47 • Menthol • Capryloyl Salicylic Acid • Citric Acid
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
This multitasking property makes it a great ingredient for cleaning out pores, controlling oil production, and reducing inflammation.
Unlike AHAs which are water soluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing a Salicylic Acid into your routine.
In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.
While salicylic acid does not increase sun-sensitivity, we still recommend wearing SPF.
If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.
Learn more about Salicylic AcidCeraVe Acne Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin contains this as ingredient number 1.
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterCeraVe Acne Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin contains this as ingredient number 2.
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 GlycerinCeraVe Acne Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin contains this as ingredient number 5.
Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate isn't fungal acne safe.
CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin contains this as ingredient number 8.
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 HydroxideCeraVe Acne Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin contains this as ingredient number 10.
Tetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin contains this as ingredient number 13.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
Love it! The Salicylic Acid helps me clear my most superficial acne (it obviously won't work on deep cysts) without being overly stripping as many other acne cleansers that contain mint or alcohols that will destroy your skin barrier....
Love it! The Salicylic Acid helps me clear my most superficial acne (it obviously won't work on deep cysts) without being overly stripping as many other acne cleansers that contain mint or alcohols that will destroy your skin barrier. It's so gentle, that I've been able to use it every day on both routines without a problem. So the possibility of a continuous use will also help with its effectiveness. And all of that while being super cheap. I think it's the best and most accessible acne cleanser I've ever tried.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
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