Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser versus Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on July 31, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 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 🎉
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 🎉
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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
This product contains 6 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
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:
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:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Cetearyl Alcohol • Peg-40 Stearate • Stearyl Alcohol • Potassium Phosphate • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Carbomer • Glyceryl Stearate • Behentrimonium Methosulfate • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Cholesterol • Phenoxyethanol • Disodium EDTA • Dipotassium Phosphate • Tocopherol • Phytosphingosine • Xanthan Gum • Cetyl Alcohol • Polysorbate 20 • Ethylhexylglycerin
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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 2.
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 4.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
Glyceryl Stearate is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced. The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateCeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 8.
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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 14.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 17.
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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 16.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 24.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTACeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 18.
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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 21.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 6.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Cetyl Alcohol is not related to SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Its main roles are:
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 22.
Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.
Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.
The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.
Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 23.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 20.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 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 Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients
This was hydrating, but that's where the positives end. For a "hydrating" cleanser this has THREE harsh irritating alcohols and two of them are in the first five ingredients (they're in higher concentrations than most of the other...
This was hydrating, but that's where the positives end. For a "hydrating" cleanser this has THREE harsh irritating alcohols and two of them are in the first five ingredients (they're in higher concentrations than most of the other ingredients). I was upset to realize this was probably causing my breakouts. CeraVe's quality really tanked and most people who are using them probably don't realize it's causing problems for their skin.
Reasonable
This is a fine cleanser but leaves me feeling a little dry. It's the HG for a lot of people but I only use it at night and I feel facial tightness immediately. It is genuinely an okay cleanser and does take off makeup/SPF...
Reasonable
This is a fine cleanser but leaves me feeling a little dry. It's the HG for a lot of people but I only use it at night and I feel facial tightness immediately. It is genuinely an okay cleanser and does take off makeup/SPF adequately but I'm still looking for something a little more... exciting and moisturizing.
Nice but boring
Skin felt OK but not as hydrated as I was expecting
Nice but boring
Skin felt OK but not as hydrated as I was expecting
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser.
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