Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser versus SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser .
Published on July 04, 2023
Overview
Cool Features
They both contain BHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, fragrances or silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Face Cleanser
Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).
Exfoliator
Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.
Price
Ingredient Info
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 21 ingredients
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 27 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Contains Parabens
Ingredients in this product that are types of parabens:
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 21 ingredients
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 27 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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 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 1 ingredient 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:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 21 ingredients
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 27 ingredients
Water • Sodium Laureth Sulfate • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Jojoba Esters • Acrylates Copolymer • Glycol Stearate • Butylene Glycol • Sodium PCA • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Glycolic Acid • Lactic Acid • Salicylic Acid • Polyquaternium-4 • Sodium Hydroxide • Sodium Chloride • Citric Acid • Disodium EDTA • Phenoxyethanol • Methylparaben • Propylparaben
Water • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Peg/Ppg-8/3 Diisostearate • Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil • Acrylates Copolymer • Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract • Saccharum Officinarum Extract • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract • Citrus Limon Fruit Extract • Acer Saccharum Extract • Salicylic Acid • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Panthenol • Bisabolol • Citric Acid • Glycerin • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Hydroxide • Disodium EDTA • Potassium Sorbate • Phenoxyethanol • Lavandula Angustifolia Oil • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil • Mica • Tin Oxide • Titanium Dioxide
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterMurad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine. Dimethylaminopropylamine is a diamine, an amine with two amino groups.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineMurad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.
Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.
After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.
It is also used to make a product more thick.
Learn more about Acrylates CopolymerMurad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.
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 AcidMurad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 12.
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.
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 HydroxideMurad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
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.
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 look more even.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidMurad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 16.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAMurad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 21 ingredients
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 27 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 21 ingredients
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 27 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser 27 ingredients
Alternatives
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