Curra On-the-Spot Acne Treatment Gel Versus DR's Secret Refining Serum 9
Updated on August 22, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for oily skin and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances and oils
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
Curra On-the-Spot Acne Treatment Gel 16 ingredients
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 36 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Curra On-the-Spot Acne Treatment Gel 16 ingredients
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 36 ingredients
Benefits
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Fragrance Oil Good for Oily Skin
This tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Tea Tree plant. Tea tree oil has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
EU Allergen
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Glycine Soja Protein comes from the soybean. It is an emulsifer and helps to condition skin. Emulsifiers prevent ingredients from separating, such as water and oils.
Salix Alba Bark Extract comes from the white willow tree, which is native to Europe and Central Asia.
Houttuynia Cordata Extract is more commonly known as Heart Leaf, Fish Mint, or Chameleon plant.
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Triethanolamine is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
Water, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Carbomer, Glycine Soja Protein, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine
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.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil comes from hydrogenated castor oil. It is a solubilizer and emulsifier.
Cinnamomum Cassia Bark is also known as cinnamon. It contains a bit of iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Triethanolamine is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
Salix Alba Bark Extract comes from the white willow tree, which is native to Europe and Central Asia.
1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer (let's call it AAVC for short) is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
5 Benefits
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide. It can be derived from the cell walls of seaweed, oats, yeast, and fungi.
Cysteine is an amino acid found in our bodies. It becomes an antioxidant when converted into gluthatione.
Glutamic Acid is an amino acid that is found in all living organisms. Our bodies use this to help nerve cells in the brain communicate with other cells.
Serine is an amino acid naturally found in our body. Our bodies use amino acids to create protein.
2 Concerns
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Water, Butylene Glycol, Castanea Sativa Shell Extract, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Salix Alba Bark Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Yeast Ferment Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Mentha Haplocalix Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Albumen, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Ethyl Hexanediol, Beta-Glucan, Benzyl Glycol, Cysteine, Cystine, Glutamic Acid, Methionine, Serine, Valine, Raspberry Ketone, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol
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 WaterCarbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.
Salix Alba Bark Extract comes from the white willow tree, which is native to Europe and Central Asia.
Salix Alba Bark Extract has often been described as salicylic acid's cousin. This is due to the salicin it contains. However, studies are limited showing salix alba bark to be an effective salicylic acid alternative.
Salicin does have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has shown to decrease the formation of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and nuclear factor-kappa B. Salicin also has a mildly exfoliating effect on the skin.
Several other components in salix alba bark extract also contain antioxidant properties, such as flavonoids and polyphenols. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging as they neutralize harmful free-radical molecules.
Willow Bark extract has been used for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations used white willow to help treat pain and fevers.
Learn more about Salix Alba Bark ExtractScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
In cosmetics, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This is due to the flavonoid composition of Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract.
In Chinese traditional folk medicine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract is used to help treat lung and hypertension.
Learn more about Scutellaria Baicalensis Root ExtractButylene 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.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.
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.
Triethanolamine is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
Learn more about TriethanolamineIngredient Ratings
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