La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin Versus Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA and exfoliants
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin and reducing pores
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, oils, parabens or silicones
What's Inside
They both contain sulfates
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 Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub 26 ingredients
About this product
About this product
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub 26 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Coco-Betaine
CleansingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-47
Skin ConditioningMenthol
Masking
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Citric Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Betaine, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Zinc Gluconate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-47, Menthol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Zea Mays Starch
AbsorbentDecyl Glucoside
CleansingPerlite
AbsorbentCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPumice
Abrasive
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Tetrasodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglycerin-10
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Kaolin, Glycerin, Zea Mays Starch, Decyl Glucoside, Perlite, CI 77499, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Zinc Gluconate, Trideceth-6, Sodium Hydroxide, Pumice, Charcoal Powder, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Polyglycerin-10, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Salicylic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 AcidWater. 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 WaterSodium 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.
SLES helps create foam in personal products. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.
Learn more about Sodium Laureth SulfateDecyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away. As an emulsion stabilizer, it stabilizes the ingredients in a product by preventing them from separating.
This ingredient is biodegradable and non-toxic. This ingredient is commonly found in baby shampoos.
Decyl Glucoside is sometimes used to stabilize the UV filter Tinosorb.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin 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 GlycerinSodium 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.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideZinc gluconate has antibacterial and wound healing properties. It is particularly effective against fighting inflammatory acne.
This ingredient is the zinc salt of the PHA gluconic acid. PHAs are gentle cousins to AHAs.
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.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and even out skin tone.
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub 26 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Face Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin 17 ingredients
Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub 26 ingredients
Never again.
Besides the very strong smell, it left my skin (combination) extremely irritated.
absolutely not
Dried my skin and caused breakouts. So much happier after switching.
