This acne treatment is formulated around Kaolin and Salix Alba Bark Extract to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.
This acne treatment is formulated around Sulfur and Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Bentonite
Absorbent
Propanediol
Solvent
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Sulfur
Antiseborrhoeic
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil
Masking
Origanum Vulgare Leaf Oil
Masking
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Sulfate
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil
Masking
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Genipa Americana Extract
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAlgin
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phytate
ChelatingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Kaolin, Bentonite, Propanediol, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Sulfur, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Silica, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Genipa Americana Extract, Arginine, Acacia Senegal Gum, Citric Acid, Cellulose Gum, Algin, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hydroxyacetophenone, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Sulfur is one of skincare's oldest ingredients that has been used to treat acne, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, scabies, and tinea versicolor.
How does it work?
When sulfur touches skin, it reacts with an amino acid in skin cells (called cysteine) to create cystine and hydrogen sulfide.
That hydrogen sulfide helps loosen dead skin cells to exfoliate. And here's a geeky detail: the smaller the Sulfur particles, the more they interact with skin and the better they work.
Sulfur also has antifungal and antibacterial activity, which is why you'll see it in both acne treatments and dandruff shampoos.
In the US, acne products can use 3-10% sulfur while dandruff products use 2-5%. It's also often paired with Sodium Sulfacetamide, and using that combo twice daily for 12 weeks reduced inflammatory acne spots by about 80%.
The most common complains are the smell and dryness. Otherwise, side effects are uncommon.
If you have a "sulfa" allergy, that's an allergy to sulfonamide drugs and this doesn't mean you'll react to elemental sulfur.
A 1972 study suggested sulfur might clog pores. Elemental sulfur caused some clogged pores on rabbit ears and human backs (though the researchers noted the effect was mild).
A 1978 follow-up tested this on 52 people. After six weeks of patches with 5% Sulfur, skin biopsies showed no link between Sulfur and clogged pores. The surprise? The base the Sulfur was mixed into was what caused clogged pores. Later reviewers also noted that other studies couldn't repeat the 1972 results.
So why does Sulfur have a comedogenic rating of 3?
That number comes from a 1989 rabbit ear study by dermatologist James Fulton, which gave a 3 to water-soluble sulfur specifically. Even so, a 3 isn't a big red flag. Fulton's own scale treats 2 to 3 as borderline.
Human testing has also proved that any finished product with a comedogenic ingredient won't automatically make you break out; it really comes down to concentration, formula, and your skin.
Learn more about SulfurWater. 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
