This salicylic acid foaming cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.
This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Kaolin
Abrasive
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMenthyl Lactate
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCupressus Sempervirens Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer
PEG-40 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingLaureth-21
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77266
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-3 Distearate, Decyl Glucoside, Zinc Gluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Saccharide Isomerate, Kaolin, Salicylic Acid, Parfum, Menthol, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Menthyl Lactate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Cupressus Sempervirens Fruit Extract, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-40 Castor Oil, Propanediol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Trideceth-9, Laureth-21, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Dehydroacetate, CI 77891, CI 19140, CI 77266, CI 42090
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyquaternium-7
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Trehalose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Succinic Acid
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylol Urea
AntimicrobialHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Algin
Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Water, Butylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Trehalose, Glycerin, Succinic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dimethylol Urea, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Juice, Hydrolyzed Algin, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zinc Sulfate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThis ingredient is a semi-synthetic polymer created from cellulose. In case you need a refresher, cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls.
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose has many uses:
- emulsifier
- create a gel-like texture
- boost foam
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
