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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Is Clinical Active Serum versus Herbivore Prism 12% AHA + 3% BHA Exfoliating Glow Serum .

Published on April 03, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any fragrances, oils, 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.

Serum American Brand United States
Exfoliator Brand

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Exfoliator

Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.

Price

Shop

Buy Active Serum

Starts at $33.65
Shop

Buy Prism 12% AHA + 3% BHA Exfoliating Glow Serum

Starts at $27.00

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

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

PHA
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging
Brightening
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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

Is Clinical Active Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Herbivore Prism 12% AHA + 3% BHA Exfoliating Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: 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

Is Clinical Active Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Herbivore Prism 12% AHA + 3% BHA Exfoliating Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Moisturising, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

This ingredient is also called sugarcane extract. It is a moisturizing humectant and has skin soothing properties.

Similar to hyaluronic acid, sugarcane can attract moisture to your skin.

Glycolic acid is a derivative of sugarcane. While glycolic acid is an AHA with exfoliating properties, sugarcane is not an AHA.

A study from 2021 found the compounds in sugarcane extract to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. The study also suggests these compounds can inhibit skin ageing enzymes and promote collagen synthesis.

Learn more about Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Is Clinical Active Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Herbivore Prism 12% AHA + 3% BHA Exfoliating Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

4
What it does: Astringent, Refreshing, Skin Conditioning, Tonic

We don't have a description for Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract.

Is Clinical Active Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

Herbivore Prism 12% AHA + 3% BHA Exfoliating Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

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

38% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
38% are disliked or very disliked
15% have no rating yet
75% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
13% are disliked or very disliked
13% 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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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 35 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Is Clinical Active Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 6 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Herbivore Prism 12% AHA + 3% BHA Exfoliating Glow Serum.

See 6 alternatives
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