CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser Versus Stridex Max Strength Acne Pads
Updated on February 03, 2025
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 3 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols or parabens
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser 27 ingredients
Stridex Max Strength Acne Pads 12 ingredients
What's inside (and what isn't)
What's inside (and what isn't)
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser 27 ingredients
Stridex Max Strength Acne Pads 12 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCalcium Gluconate
HumectantSodium Chloride
Masking
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCholecalciferol
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Tetrasodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Niacinamide, Gluconolactone, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Zea Mays Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Chloride, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholecalciferol, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterSalicylic 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 AcidTetrasodium 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.
Ingredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser 27 ingredients
Stridex Max Strength Acne Pads 12 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser 27 ingredients
not good at all lol
1. it didnt clear my acne
2. it irritated tf out of my skin\
3. it broke me out
another miss from cerave
this wasn't a disaster for me because i luckily had skin oily enough to handle this. it was still very stripping though. i did like that it does make my pores, especially my sebaceous filaments on my nose disappear, especially after an oil cleanser, but it stripped my skin too much and possibly caused me a lot of breakouts.
Stridex Max Strength Acne Pads 12 ingredients
I've never had an issue with this product being too harsh.
It's not even that drying (you can sometimes feel like a "film" dry down on your skin if you put on too much, but it's not the skin that's drying out.)
I don't understand the hype of PC 2% BHA when stridex is not only
- much cheaper
- much easier to find and get your hands on (it's at every dollar store!)
- comes already on pads Show more
