Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser versus The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment .

Last updated on September 19, 2023. Published on November 11, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 4 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, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances

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 Canadian Brand Canada
Scalp Treatment British Brand United Kingdom

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).

Scalp Treatment

Products to help treat conditions relating to the scalp.

Price

Shop

Buy Blemish Control Cleanser

Starts at $17.99
Shop

Buy Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment

Starts at $20.49

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

BHA
PHA
Niacinamide
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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 Acid

CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment contains this as ingredient number 3.

2
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment contains this as ingredient number 1.

3
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment contains this as ingredient number 12.

4
What it does:
Community Rating: Liked

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.

CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 23.

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment contains this as ingredient number 15.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

52% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
37% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet
53% are loved or liked
20% have mixed ratings
20% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

Loading routine usage...
Loading routine usage...

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser 27 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 3 ratings
Great Value (1) Light (1) Works Well (1)
BrianO_698's avatar

BrianO_698

5 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

I use micellar water then follow-up with this cleanser. I witnessed a reduction in almost all new acne spots. Should be used as a deep-clean...

I use micellar water then follow-up with this cleanser. I witnessed a reduction in almost all new acne spots. Should be used as a deep-clean solution. I used the Vichy Normaderm Phytocleanser before this Cerave cleanser and I notice a considerably deeper clean than the latter.

CentellaAddict's avatar

CentellaAddict

8 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Great for acne
Using this twice a day stopped me from breaking out often and has helped me dramatically in controlling my acne. Didn't do much for...

Great for acne
Using this twice a day stopped me from breaking out often and has helped me dramatically in controlling my acne. Didn't do much for my oiliness or my sebaceous filaments, 2x daily use may have also stripped my skin but I was expecting this lol

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment 15 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 18 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser.

See 18 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 3 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment.

See 3 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...