Versus

Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash Versus Dermalogica Acne Clearing Skin Wash

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on August 12, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin and reducing pores

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens, 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

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Acne Clearing Skin Wash

Salicylic Acid 0.5%

Masking
BHA IconPreservative IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate

Cleansing

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Cleansing
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Cleansing
May worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Hydroxypropyl Bis-Hydroxyethyldimonium Chloride

Humectant

PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium PCA

Humectant
0 / 0

Phytic Acid

AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Emollient

Allium Sativum Bulb Extract

Skin Conditioning

Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation Icon

Passiflora Incarnata Extract

Astringent

Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract

Cleansing

Camphor

Masking
May cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Menthol

Masking
May cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning
Can worsen Dry Skin Icon

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine

Emulsifying

Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate

Cleansing

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Humectant
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Polysorbate 80

Emulsifying
0 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconFragrance IconOil IconGood for Oily Skin IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melissa Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Soothing

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Angelica Archangelica Extract

Skin Conditioning

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Masking
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract

Masking
May cause irritation Icon

Echinacea Angustifolia Leaf Extract

Moisturising

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Tonic

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Ascorbic Acid

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Maltodextrin

Absorbent

Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Palmitic Acid

Emollient
2 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Zinc PCA

Humectant
Good for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne Icon

Kaolin

Abrasive
0 / 0 Exfoliant IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps fight Acne Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Aminomethyl Propanol

Buffering

Sodium Chloride

Masking
Can worsen Dry Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Benzyl PCA

Humectant

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning

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
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 Water

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.

This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.

Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.

While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.

Learn more about Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Antioxidant, Perfuming

This tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Tea Tree plant. Tea tree oil has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.

According to the book Journal of Profiles of Drug Substances, tea tree helps in reducing acne-causing bacteria such as Propionibacterium acnes. This is due to the Terpinen components of tea tree oil.

Tea tree may cause sensitivity and irritation for some people. This oil naturally contains fragrance such as linalool and limonene.

However, research shows irritation usually occurs when using pure tea tree oil and not in cosmetic products.

Tea tree oil was found to help relieve the symptoms of psoriasis in one study.

Tea tree oil is toxic when ingested. Another study showed it to caused damage to the nervous system of dogs and cats when applied to their skin or given orally.

Learn more about Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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.
  • It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Astringent

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.

This ingredient has many skin benefits:

This ingredient contains polyphenols, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off molecules that damage skin cells.

On top of that, the antioxidants in green tea neutralize free-radicals from the sun. This gives the skin some extra UV protection, but should not replace sunscreen.

Many components of tea have anti-inflammatory properties.

Polyphenols and L-theanine help soothe the skin and reduce irritation. The caffeine in Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract helps calm inflamed blood vessels.

Other compounds found in tea include: Vitamin Bs, linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.

Research has shown both drinking Camellia Sinensis Leaf Tea and applying it to the skin can help boost skin elasticity and hydration. Studies also show using tea extract may reduce sebum, or oil, production.

Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Buffering

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide
Skin Conditioning

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.

Preservative

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.

When to use

101 Routines
39% use in am
61% use in pm
95% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
54 Routines
50% use in am
50% use in pm
81% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash 20 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Drying (1)
JessicaAllen's avatar

JessicaAllen

1 year ago
Review

I found this very drying for my combination skin, used with the oil free moisturiser from the same range I found my skin was tight and itchy, making me want to touch my skin and scratch it

#drying
marycatehamele's avatar

Mary Cate Hamele

4 months ago
Review

Love this product!! Makes my acne go away and it has such amazing ingredients to make my skin feel great after.

Dermalogica Acne Clearing Skin Wash 56 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
BiaB's avatar

BiaB

1 year ago
Review

Love it!
It keeps my outbreaks under control.
Even though I have dehydrated skin, it does not strip my skin from its moisture.
This product is amazing!