Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser versus Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator .
Last updated on September 19, 2023. Published on May 23, 2022
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain AHA and hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates
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 Foaming Cream Cleanser 28 ingredients
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
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 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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 🎉
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 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser 28 ingredients
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients 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 Foaming Cream Cleanser 28 ingredients
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Benzoyl Peroxide 4% • Water • Glycerin • Propylene Glycol • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate • Xanthan Gum • Potassium Hydroxide • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Carbomer • Niacinamide • Glycolic Acid • Sodium Chloride • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Sodium Hydroxide • Cholesterol • Phenoxyethanol • Propanediol • Citric Acid • Tetrasodium EDTA • Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate • Phytosphingosine • Ethylhexylglycerin • Benzoic Acid
Water • Glycerin • Salicylic Acid • Cetearyl Alcohol • Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate • Xanthan Gum • Paraffin • Glyceryl Stearate • Peg-100 Stearate • Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract • Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract • Morus Alba Bark Extract • Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract • Butylene Glycol • Linoleic Acid • Linolenic Acid • Sodium Hyaluronate • Disodium EDTA • Glycolic Acid • Polysorbate 20 • Sodium Hydroxide • Cetyl Alcohol • Isododecane • Phenoxyethanol • Chlorphenesin • Benzoic Acid • Sorbic Acid • Parfum
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.
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 Foaming Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 Foaming Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 2.
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumCeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 7.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 6.
Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with research to back up its benefits. Its main role is to peel the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Glycolic Acid has shown to boost collage production, a protein that helps skin stay firm. Overall, Glycolic Acid helps with improving uneven tone, rough patches of skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. It also increases skin hydration by playing a role in creating molecules that create hyaluronic acid naturally.
When applying Glycolic Acid, it is normal to feel slight stinging. The pH value and concentration of glycolic acid play a role in the effectiveness of the product.
Recent studies have shown Glycolic Acid may protect the skin against UV damage. However, you should always wear SPF, especially when using exfoliants.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidCeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 14.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 19.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateCeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 17.
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 Foaming Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 21.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 21.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 24.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidCeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 28.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 26.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser 28 ingredients
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser 28 ingredients
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser 28 ingredients
Doesn’t irritate and actually helps my acne without drying me out.
Doesn’t irritate and actually helps my acne without drying me out.
I can'T see any result.
I am using it 3 month now. The good part is that I don't have any skin reaction. I have very sensitive skin that reacts to everything, but this been good so far. I use it as a mask as well somethimes, but there is...
I can'T see any result.
I am using it 3 month now. The good part is that I don't have any skin reaction. I have very sensitive skin that reacts to everything, but this been good so far. I use it as a mask as well somethimes, but there is no effect on my pimples at all.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 25 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser.
See 25 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 27 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator.
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