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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner versus Catrice Pore Blemish Control Serum .

Last updated on July 28, 2023. Published on April 29, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA and BHA

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Toner German Brand Germany
Serum German Brand Germany

Toner

Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Liquid Refiner

Shop

Buy Pore Blemish Control Serum

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA
PHA

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner contains this as ingredient number 1.

Catrice Pore Blemish Control Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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 Acid

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner contains this as ingredient number 4.

Catrice Pore Blemish Control Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

3
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner contains this as ingredient number 12.

Catrice Pore Blemish Control Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.

4
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner contains this as ingredient number 14.

Catrice Pore Blemish Control Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

71% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
14% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
56% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
22% are disliked or very disliked
17% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Nø Cosmetics Liquid Refiner 14 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 4 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Great Value (1) Hydrating (1) Light (1) Works Well (1)
Mormo's avatar

Mormo

1 year ago · Normal Skin
Review

Amazing product for combination skin with clogged pores
Atm this product may be available only in Germany, but it has amazing ingredients that...

Amazing product for combination skin with clogged pores
Atm this product may be available only in Germany, but it has amazing ingredients that offer more than another similar products of higher price range. It has 2% BHA and resveratrol, which do magic on oily skin. If you compare it to the Paula's Choice 2% BHA exfoliator, the concentration of the ingredients look pretty similar, especially the salicylic acid part, but the Liquid Refiner has additional products that help to make the skin better, and it's more affordable.

Even if this is not considered to be an "exfoliator" and more of a toner, my skin got much more smooth and "free" after this product than another BHA exfoliators, including Paula's Choice. I don't mean to say that they are bad, just that this product became a holy grail for me.

amorleannekoffi's avatar

amorleannekoffi

1 month ago · Oily Skin
Review

Light weight not drying at all. Doesn’t have bad ingredients overall good but I haven’t seen the results yet because I haven’t used it for a long time

Catrice Pore Blemish Control Serum 18 ingredients

Pore Blemish Control Serum hasn't been rated yet.
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