Versus

Dr. Song 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide Advanced Acne Gel Versus Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment

Facial Treatment
Facial Treatment
Korean Brand South Korea
American Brand United States

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain benzoyl peroxide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

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 Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Benzoyl Peroxide is famous for fighting acne. This is because it does a variety of tasks on the skin: it helps reduce excess oil, kill bacteria, and clear out dead skin cells. In other words, it is effective at unclogging pores.

These properties make it great at fighting different types of acne, including cystic and inflammatory types of acne.

When targeting the bacteria in your pores, Benzoyl Peroxide has been shown to kill the bacteria without causing sensitivity. It also helps keep your skin's natural bacteria and biome balanced. Having a healthy biome protects your skin from external harmful factors.

Once Benzoyl Peroxide is absorbed into the skin, our bodies turn it into benzoic acid and quickly exits in urine.

When using Benzoyl Peroxide, it may be irritating for some people due to a variety of reasons, such as a broken skin barrier or just an allergic reaction. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.

Learn more about Benzoyl Peroxide
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
Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
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

When to use

26 Routines
42% use in am
58% use in pm
77% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
178 Routines
40% use in am
60% use in pm
74% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Dr. Song 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide Advanced Acne Gel 8 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
kamiisamas's avatar

kamiisamas

1 year ago
Review

safe for newly popped whiteheads, immediately calming them down and reducing size. a must for acne.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment 9 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
Great Value (1) Light (1) Works Well (1)
gofofnglv's avatar

gofofnglv

1 year ago
Review

BP spot treatment that isn’t too drying. Works well.

#great value
#light
#works well