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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of COSRX AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion versus Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel .

Published on November 15, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe facial treatments. 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 and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols

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 South Korean Brand South Korea
Facial Treatment American Brand United States

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 AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion

Starts at $12.99
Shop

Buy Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel

Starts at $23.00

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
Exfoliators

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (4)

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)
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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

COSRX AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion contains this as ingredient number 3.

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

2
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

COSRX AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion contains this as ingredient number 9.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel contains this as ingredient number 8.

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

COSRX AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion contains this as ingredient number 15.

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

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

55% are loved or liked
20% have mixed ratings
25% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
22% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
56% are disliked or very disliked
11% 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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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to COSRX AC Collection Blemish Spot Drying Lotion.

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

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