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Oxy 3-in-1 Maximum Strength Acne Treatment Pads Versus Clearasil Rapid Rescue Deep Treatment Pads

Facial Treatment
Facial Treatment
South African Brand South Africa
American Brand United States

Updated on November 09, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe facial treatments. 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, brightening skin, oily skin and reducing pores

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols and fragrances

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

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

Free from

Safety & Ethics

South African Brand

Brand country of origin

Free from

Safety & Ethics

American Brand

Brand country of origin

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Ingredients, at a glance

What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.

Notable Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients, at a glance

What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.

Notable Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
3-in-1 Maximum Strength Acne Treatment Pads
Salicylic Acid Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
BHA IconPreservative IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

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.

Loved by users
BHABHA IconPreservativePreservative Icon4 Benefits3 Concerns
Learn more
Alcohol 50% Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking
Alcohol IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is usually an astringent alcohol.

Very disliked
AlcoholAlcohol Icon5 Concerns
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Capryloyl Glycine Cleansing

Capryloyl Glycine is created by adding an acyl group to glycine and caprylic acid chloride.

Mixed reviews
Learn more
Parfum Masking, Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Very disliked
FragranceFragrance Icon2 Concerns
Learn more
Isoceteth-20 Emulsifying
May cause irritation Icon

Isoceteth-20 comes from Isocetyl Alcohol. It is an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

Very disliked
May cause irritationMay cause irritation Icon
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Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters isn't fungal acne safe.

Disliked by users
Not safe for Fungal AcneNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon
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PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer

We don't have a description for PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer yet.

Not enough ratings
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Phytic Acid
AHA IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Phytic Acid is a gentle AHA and antioxidant. AHAs are chemical exfoliants that help remove dead skin cells. Phytic Acid has a slight and mild exfoliating effect.

Liked by users
AHAAHA Icon2 BenefitsMay worsen RosaceaMay worsen Rosacea Icon
Learn more
Water Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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.

Loved by users
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Trisodium EDTA

We don't have a description for Trisodium EDTA yet.

Disliked by users
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Triethanolamine Buffering, Emulsifying, Masking
2 / 0

Triethanolamine is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.

2 Com. / 0 Irr.
Very disliked
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Rapid Rescue Deep Treatment Pads
Salicylic Acid 2% Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
BHA IconPreservative IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

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.

Loved by users
BHABHA IconPreservativePreservative Icon4 Benefits3 Concerns
Learn more
Water Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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.

Loved by users
Learn more
Alcohol Denat. Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking
Alcohol IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.

Very disliked
AlcoholAlcohol Icon5 Concerns
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Glycerin Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Loved by users
2 Benefits
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Isoceteth-20 Emulsifying
May cause irritation Icon

Isoceteth-20 comes from Isocetyl Alcohol. It is an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

Very disliked
May cause irritationMay cause irritation Icon
Learn more
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate Humectant

We don't have a description for Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate yet.

Not enough ratings
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Sodium Hydroxide Buffering

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.

Mixed reviews
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Parfum Masking, Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Very disliked
FragranceFragrance Icon2 Concerns
Learn more
Lavandula Stoechas Extract Masking

We don't have a description for Lavandula Stoechas Extract yet.

Not enough ratings
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Helichrysum Italicum Extract Antiseborrhoeic, Masking, Soothing

We don't have a description for Helichrysum Italicum Extract yet.

Not enough ratings
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Cistus Monspeliensis Extract Masking

We don't have a description for Cistus Monspeliensis Extract yet.

Not enough ratings
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Disodium EDTA

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

Disliked by users
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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.

Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Loved

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
Masking, Perfuming
Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum
Emulsifying
Very Disliked

Isoceteth-20 comes from Isocetyl Alcohol. It is an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

When to use

3 Routines
33% use in am
67% use in pm
33% use every on_specific_days
51 Routines
39% use in am
61% use in pm
75% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Oxy 3-in-1 Maximum Strength Acne Treatment Pads 11 ingredients

3-in-1 Maximum Strength Acne Treatment Pads hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Clearasil Rapid Rescue Deep Treatment Pads 12 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Drying (1) Great Value (1) Irritating (1)
michelle_mabelle's avatar

Michelle MaBelle

5 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

Update: After battling a very painful cystic acne flare and these helping clear it within two days to attend a wedding with mostly happy-looking...

Update: After battling a very painful cystic acne flare and these helping clear it within two days to attend a wedding with mostly happy-looking skin, this has been upgraded to holy grail status! 🏆

TL;DR: VERY effective, VERY affordable. Use only as needed if you have sensitive skin.

First off, you can find these in most US drug stores, making them very affordable and available, but most of all; they WORK. They are about $6/90 pads, so a little over $0.06/pad.

I use these as needed 1-2 times a day when my cystic acne erupts and it will bring them down within the next day. You just need to be careful as they are very stripping, and can make you VERY sensitive if you are on other actives. But if you have something stubborn that needs to flatten, these are the way!