What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Benzoyl Peroxide 5.5%
Water
Skin ConditioningIsostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Kaolin
Abrasive
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Algin
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Kaolin, Zinc Sulfate, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Algin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
