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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel versus CeraVe Acne Control Gel .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on September 07, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 2 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 and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any 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.

Facial Treatment American Brand United States
Facial Treatment Canadian Brand Canada

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Price

Shop

Buy Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel

Starts at $23.00
Shop

Buy Acne Control Gel

Starts at $16.01

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

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

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

Notable Ingredients

AHA (2)
BHA
Niacinamide
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

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

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.

CeraVe Acne Control Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel contains this as ingredient number 3.

CeraVe Acne Control Gel contains this as ingredient number 2.

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

22% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
56% are disliked or very disliked
11% have no rating yet
58% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
33% 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

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel 9 ingredients

Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

CeraVe Acne Control Gel 24 ingredients

3.4 /5
from 5 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Great Value (1) Light (1) No Scent (1) Works Well (1)
ab666's avatar

ab666

7 months ago · Unsure Skin
Review

help
I don't know what exactly happened, whether I mixed it with other products whose ingredients didn't go well with those in this gel, but this...

help
I don't know what exactly happened, whether I mixed it with other products whose ingredients didn't go well with those in this gel, but this thing made my skin purge. I might have overused it as well, since I know nothing about skincare, though nonetheless it made my skin angry after one use. Just not for me.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 23 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 32 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Acne Control Gel.

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