What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%
Water
Skin ConditioningEthoxydiglycol
HumectantCyclotetrasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeteareth-20
CleansingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDiazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%, Water, Ethoxydiglycol, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Ceteareth-20, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCholesterol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Benzoic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholSodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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
