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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel versus Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment .

Published on March 19, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA, BHA, exfoliants, retinoid and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens and fragrances

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
Exfoliator 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.

Exfoliator

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

Price

Shop

Buy Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel

Starts at $72.29
Shop

Buy ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment

Starts at $48.00

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

AHA (5)
BHA
Retinoid (2)
Vitamin C (2)
Vitamin E
Exfoliators

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin (5)
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (8)
Reduces Large Pores (9)
Anti-Aging (8)
Dark Spots (6)
Scar Healing (10)
Acne Fighting (5)
Brightening (10)

Concerns

Drying (6)
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Irritating (11)
Rosacea (9)
Eczema (7)

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA
Retinoid
Vitamin E
Exfoliators

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin (2)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (7)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (5)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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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

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel contains this as ingredient number 1.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol and other additives. It has a low molecular weight and will evaporate quickly. This helps other ingredients become better absorbed and dry once applied.

Alcohol Denat. is volatile and may cause irritation. It helps draw out natural oils in skin and dry out your skin.

One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased irritation.

Alcohol is antibacterial by nature. This can help preserve products and increase their shelf life.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

Learn more about Alcohol Denat.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel contains this as ingredient number 2.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment contains this as ingredient number 16.

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

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel contains this as ingredient number 6.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment contains this as ingredient number 14.

4
What it does: Buffering, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Lactic Acid is an AHA that is derived from fermenting lactose, a carbohydrate from milk. It removes the top layer of old and dead skin cells and helps increase cell turnover.

Benefits of Lactic Acid are that it can help to reduce large pores and reduce the effects of aging. Some potential downsides are that it can be bad for dry skin, cause irritation, worsen eczema, and worsen rosacea.

Not only does it help exfoliate the skin, it helps strengthen the skin's barrier. When applied, lactic acid helps the skin create ceramides.

Lactic acid is an over-the-counter chemical exfoliant that comes from the fermentation of lactose — a carbohydrate found in milk.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Lactic Acid

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel contains this as ingredient number 8.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment contains this as ingredient number 2.

5
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.

Linalool has the same effect as Limonene when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.

Linalool has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.

Learn more about Linalool

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel contains this as ingredient number 25.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment contains this as ingredient number 24.

6
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.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel contains this as ingredient number 28.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment contains this as ingredient number 10.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. It is created from palmitic acid and retinol.

This ingredient has antioxidant and exfoliating properties. Like other types of retinols, retinyl palmitate increases cell turnover. Removing dead skin cells and encouraging the growth of new ones improves skin tone and unclogs pores. This in turn promotes brighter looking skin and even skin texture.

As an antioxidant, retinyl palmitate helps neutralize free-radical molecules. These molecules have the potential to damage skin cells. Thus, antioxidants may help with anti-aging.

Retinyl palmitate can be good for be good for oily skin by helping to unclog pores. However, it may not be good for dry skin and fungal acne.

After using this product, you should follow up with sunscreen.

This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.

Learn more about Retinyl Palmitate

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel contains this as ingredient number 38.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment contains this as ingredient number 30.

8
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel contains this as ingredient number 39.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment contains this as ingredient number 31.

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

41% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
43% are disliked or very disliked
9% have no rating yet
21% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
53% are disliked or very disliked
18% have no rating yet

Usage

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When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment 38 ingredients

ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 1 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Pore Exfoliating Treatment.

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