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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia versus La Roche-Posay Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser .

Last updated on December 19, 2023. Published on March 06, 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, fragrances, 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 Canadian Brand Canada
Face Cleanser French Brand France

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

Shop

Buy SA Smoothing Cleanser

Starts at $24.99
Shop

Buy Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser

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

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema
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Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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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: 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 SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia contains this as ingredient number 1.

La Roche-Posay Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

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 Glycerin

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia contains this as ingredient number 4.

La Roche-Posay Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate isn't fungal acne safe.

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia contains this as ingredient number 8.

La Roche-Posay Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.

4
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 SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia contains this as ingredient number 14.

La Roche-Posay Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
What it does: Masking, Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

Sodium Benzoate is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

Learn more about Sodium Benzoate

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia contains this as ingredient number 15.

La Roche-Posay Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.

6
What it does:
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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 SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia contains this as ingredient number 20.

La Roche-Posay Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.

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

50% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
4% have no rating yet
28% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
56% are disliked or very disliked
6% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser 24 ingredients

3.7 /5
from 11 ratings
Works Well (4) Light (3) Great Value (3) Drying (2) No Scent (2) Light Scent (1)
Samantha_628's avatar

Samantha_628

4 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Unbelievably good! I used this last night and it made my very sensitive skin quite red. However I need a cleanser to deal with my clogged pores and...

Unbelievably good! I used this last night and it made my very sensitive skin quite red. However I need a cleanser to deal with my clogged pores and was reassured by the beneficial skin barrier ingredients. I also followed it with a soothing toner and lots of ceramides. Woke up and the redness is gone, and my clogged pores are visibly faded. Overnight! No new little breakouts, either. Highly recommend!

Kanwar's avatar

Kanwar

9 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

This cleanser cleanses your skin using 0.5 salicylic which cleans your pores really well without disrupting or damaging your skin barrier

La Roche-Posay Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel Cleanser 18 ingredients

4.7 /5
from 3 ratings
Drying (1) Great Value (1) Irritating (1) Pilling (1) Works Well (1)
GabriellaTsoukalas's avatar

GabriellaTsoukalas

8 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

It's very good
My dermatologist recommended me after I finished my acne treatment pills. It was indeed great. After about two years, it somehow...

It's very good
My dermatologist recommended me after I finished my acne treatment pills. It was indeed great. After about two years, it somehow felt itchy after using it, so I stopped using it. Would recommend for anyone on an acne treatment journey.

emmat's avatar

emmat

10 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

ayo
love this, i use it every night, face feels clean after using it. If your someone that has really sensitive skin it could possibly irritate...

ayo
love this, i use it every night, face feels clean after using it. If your someone that has really sensitive skin it could possibly irritate you, test on your neck before trying it out

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