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Galderma Benzac AC Moderate Strength 5% Acne Wash Versus Galderma Benzac 10%

Face Cleanser
Facial Treatment
Swiss Brand Switzerland
Swiss Brand Switzerland

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe . 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, dry skin and brightening skin

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

Free from

Safety & Ethics

Swiss Brand

Brand country of origin

Free from

Safety & Ethics

Swiss Brand

Brand country of origin

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Ingredients, at a glance

What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.

Notable Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients, at a glance

What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.

Notable Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Benzac AC Moderate Strength 5% Acne Wash
Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyl Peroxide IconHelps fight Acne IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

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.

Disliked by users
Benzoyl PeroxideBenzoyl Peroxide IconHelps fight AcneHelps fight Acne Icon4 Concerns
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Acrylates Copolymer

Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.

Disliked by users
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Glycerin Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Loved by users
2 Benefits
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Carbomer Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
1 / 0

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

1 Com. / 0 Irr.
Disliked by users
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Sodium C16 Olefin Sulfonate Emulsifying

We don't have a description for Sodium C16 Olefin Sulfonate yet.

Not enough ratings
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Sodium Hydroxide 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.

Mixed reviews
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Citric Acid Buffering, Masking
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

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AHAAHA Icon5 BenefitsMay worsen RosaceaMay worsen Rosacea Icon
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Water 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.

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Benzac 10%
Benzoyl Peroxide 10%
Benzoyl Peroxide IconHelps fight Acne IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

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.

Disliked by users
Benzoyl PeroxideBenzoyl Peroxide IconHelps fight AcneHelps fight Acne Icon4 Concerns
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Sodium Anisate Antimicrobial

Sodium Anisate comes from fennel. It is used as a preservative and to add flavoring.

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Disodium EDTA

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

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Poloxamer 182 Emulsifying

We don't have a description for Poloxamer 182 yet.

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Carbomer Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
1 / 0

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

1 Com. / 0 Irr.
Disliked by users
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Propylene Glycol Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Very disliked
Helps hydrate Dry SkinHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon2 Concerns
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Acrylates Copolymer

Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.

Disliked by users
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Glycerin Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Loved by users
2 Benefits
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Silicon Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Silicon is an abrasive as an INCI ingredient. In tools, it is a material.

Very disliked
ExfoliantExfoliant Icon
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Sodium Hydroxide 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.

Mixed reviews
Learn more

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Disliked

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

Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.

After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.

It is also used to make a product more thick.

Learn more about Acrylates Copolymer
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin
Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Disliked

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.

Buffering
Mixed

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

76 Routines
33% use in am
67% use in pm
83% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
92 Routines
28% use in am
72% use in pm
76% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Galderma Benzac AC Moderate Strength 5% Acne Wash 8 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
Great Value (1) No Scent (1) Works Well (1)
laurenmaccormick1's avatar

Lauren Maccormick

3 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Been using this face wash for years, and I truly think it has absolutely had the MOST impact on my acne getting better (along side tretinoin)

Galderma Benzac 10% 10 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 2 ratings
Drying (1) Light (1) No Scent (1)
zagan's avatar

zagan

5 months ago · Unsure Skin
Review

Works like magic on my undereye milia. Makes them disappear within a day or two. However it does sometimes leave my skin a bit red and dry but it...

Works like magic on my undereye milia. Makes them disappear within a day or two. However it does sometimes leave my skin a bit red and dry but it doesn’t sting.