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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream versus Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid .

Published on December 26, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 7 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 oils or parabens

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

General Moisturizer Canadian Brand Canada
Exfoliator British Brand United Kingdom

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Exfoliator

Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.

Price

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

AHA
BHA
Niacinamide
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (7)
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (5)
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (4)
Rosacea (5)
Eczema (5)
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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 Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid 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 Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
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 Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.

Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 7.

4
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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 SA Smoothing Cream contains this as ingredient number 27.

Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 10.

5
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

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 EDTA

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream contains this as ingredient number 28.

Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 15.

6
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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 Gum

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream contains this as ingredient number 35.

Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 12.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream contains this as ingredient number 36.

Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid contains this as ingredient number 14.

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

41% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
38% are disliked or very disliked
15% have no rating yet
17% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
71% are disliked or very disliked
4% 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 Cream 34 ingredients

3.5 /5
from 2 ratings
Heavy (1) Hydrating (1)
chesterfield__'s avatar

chesterfield__

9 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Absolutely changed my skin
Got rid of all my hormonal acne, made my skin extremely smooth and soft to the touch, keeps my skin well-hydrated, glowy...

Absolutely changed my skin
Got rid of all my hormonal acne, made my skin extremely smooth and soft to the touch, keeps my skin well-hydrated, glowy and healthy. I use it day and night.

Zora's avatar

Zora

5 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

I used this product for my keratosis pilaris every evening for a few weeks. Unfortunately, it did not help my skin condition at all. But at least...

I used this product for my keratosis pilaris every evening for a few weeks. Unfortunately, it did not help my skin condition at all. But at least it didn't make anything worse. Won't buy again.

Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid 24 ingredients

Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Revolution Beauty Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid.

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