Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA
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, oils, parabens or silicones
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
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Deep Cleansing Foaming Cream Cleanser 12 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel 18 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Deep Cleansing Foaming Cream Cleanser 12 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel 18 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient 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 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:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients 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 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Myristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Glyceryl Stearate Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.
Lauric Acid is a fatty acid or lipid. About half of fatty acids in coconut oil is lauric acid.
Palmitic Acid is a fatty acid found in our skin. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It is a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Coco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Tetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
2 Concerns
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Preservative 5 Benefits 4 Concerns
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.
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.
Can worsen Dry Skin
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying ingredient. It is created from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. SLES is not the same as sodium lauryl sulfate. It is much milder and less likely to irritate.
Decyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant. Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.
Coco-Betaine is the natural version of Cocamidopropyl Betaine. It is often derived from coconuts.
Preservative 5 Benefits 4 Concerns
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.
Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate isn't fungal acne safe.
This ingredient is derived from caprylic and capric acids. It is an emulsifier with emollient properties.
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.
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid comes from salicylic acid, the famous acne-fighting BHA.
Tetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
Menthol is a compound found in mint plants, such as peppermint. In its pure form, it is a clear crystalline substance.
Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Betaine, Salicylic Acid, Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Zinc Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Menthol, Polyquaternium-47, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterGlycerin 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 GlycerinTetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
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 AcidIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
When to use
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Deep Cleansing Foaming Cream Cleanser 12 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel 18 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Deep Cleansing Foaming Cream Cleanser 12 ingredients
Pola 🐛
Good if you want to prevent acne. Although it probably won't help if you're already broken out. Left my skin very tight and that's why I stopped...
Good if you want to prevent acne. Although it probably won't help if you're already broken out. Left my skin very tight and that's why I stopped using it
Katt135
It has not got rid of my acne and I think it dries my skin out. That said it is pretty good, also great value for money because the bottle is big...
It has not got rid of my acne and I think it dries my skin out. That said it is pretty good, also great value for money because the bottle is big and you don't need to use a lot of the product at a time.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Micro-Peeling Purifying Gel 18 ingredients
specialuniquesnowflake
This is my staple basic cleanser - big bottle for a few bucks, lasts for ~7 months (the 400ml bottle). Tiny drop is enough to clean the whole face,...
This is my staple basic cleanser - big bottle for a few bucks, lasts for ~7 months (the 400ml bottle). Tiny drop is enough to clean the whole face, nice and foamy. Neutral smell. Gentle and effective ingredients. Probably won't clear your acne alone, but it's definitely a nice addition to the routine if you're looking for something simple.
YousifShamoon
meh
this was a very boring cleanser. it had a very slight fragrance but nothing off putting and it was stripping, but not a lot. i'm not sure if it...
meh
this was a very boring cleanser. it had a very slight fragrance but nothing off putting and it was stripping, but not a lot. i'm not sure if it did anything good for my skin and i don't wanna give it too much credit since it's just a cleanser. i moved on from this and i think there is much better out there, but it's not that important since you wash it off anyway. if this is an accessible option for you, go for the normal effaclar cleanser instead, since it will be less stripping.
