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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of FaceTheory Clarifying Cleanser C2 Pro versus CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia .

Last updated on December 19, 2023. Published on September 16, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 2 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA

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 harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Face Cleanser British Brand United Kingdom
Face Cleanser Canadian Brand Canada

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Price

Shop

Buy Clarifying Cleanser C2 Pro

Shop

Buy SA Smoothing Cleanser

Starts at $24.99

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 (2)
BHA (2)

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin (2)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (4)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

BHA
PHA
Niacinamide
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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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

FaceTheory Clarifying Cleanser C2 Pro contains this as ingredient number 1.

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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

FaceTheory Clarifying Cleanser C2 Pro contains this as ingredient number 6.

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia contains this as ingredient number 14.

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

39% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
28% are disliked or very disliked
28% have no rating yet
50% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
4% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

FaceTheory Clarifying Cleanser C2 Pro 18 ingredients

Clarifying Cleanser C2 Pro hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser 24 ingredients

3.7 /5
from 11 ratings
Works Well (4) Light (3) Great Value (3) Drying (2) No Scent (2) Light Scent (1)
Samantha_628's avatar

Samantha_628

4 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Unbelievably good! I used this last night and it made my very sensitive skin quite red. However I need a cleanser to deal with my clogged pores and...

Unbelievably good! I used this last night and it made my very sensitive skin quite red. However I need a cleanser to deal with my clogged pores and was reassured by the beneficial skin barrier ingredients. I also followed it with a soothing toner and lots of ceramides. Woke up and the redness is gone, and my clogged pores are visibly faded. Overnight! No new little breakouts, either. Highly recommend!

Kanwar's avatar

Kanwar

9 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

This cleanser cleanses your skin using 0.5 salicylic which cleans your pores really well without disrupting or damaging your skin barrier

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to FaceTheory Clarifying Cleanser C2 Pro.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 22 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser Australia.

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