Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Hero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen versus e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel .
Published on February 23, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 5 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, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances and oils
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
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Price
Ingredient Info
Hero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen 46 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel 15 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Hero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen 46 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel 15 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Hero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen 46 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel 15 ingredients
Salicylic Acid 2% • Water • Butylene Glycol • Nigella Sativa Seed Extract • Isopentyldiol • Sodium Polyacrylate • Lactic Acid • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil • Niacinamide • Polydextrose • Caffeine • Maltodextrin • Xanthan Gum • Allantoin • Ceratonia Siliqua Gum • Sodium Hydroxide • Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract • Agar • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder • Glycerin • Biosaccharide Gum-1 • Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract • Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract • 1,2-Hexanediol • Caprylyl Glycol • Sodium Levulinate • Glyceryl Caprylate • Tocopherol • Tocopheryl Acetate • Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract • Disodium Phosphate • Polysorbate 60 • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Gellan Gum • Sodium Anisate • Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract • Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract • Azelaic Acid • Corallina Officinalis Extract • Curcuma Longa Root Extract • Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract • Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil • Sodium Phosphate • Sebacic Acid • Limonene
Salicylic Acid 1% • Water • Alcohol Denat. • Butylene Glycol • Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 • Camphor • Sodium Hydroxide • Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil • Hamamelis Virginiana Extract • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • T-Butyl Alcohol • Sodium Benzoate • Phenoxyethanol • Denatonium Benzoate
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 AcidHero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen contains this as ingredient number 1.
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 WaterHero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen contains this as ingredient number 2.
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 2.
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.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Hero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen contains this as ingredient number 3.
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 4.
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 OilHero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen contains this as ingredient number 9.
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 8.
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 HydroxideHero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen contains this as ingredient number 17.
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 7.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Hero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen 46 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel 15 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Hero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen 46 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel 15 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 17 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Hero Cosmetics Pimple Correct Acne Clearing Gel Pen.
See 17 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 41 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to e.l.f. cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Acne Fighting Spot Gel.
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