Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator versus Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator .
Published on May 31, 2022
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA and hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances
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).
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
Price
Ingredient Info
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator 38 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
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:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of 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
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator 38 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient 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:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator 38 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Salicylic Acid • Cetearyl Alcohol • Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate • Xanthan Gum • Paraffin • Glyceryl Stearate • Peg-100 Stearate • Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract • Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract • Morus Alba Bark Extract • Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract • Butylene Glycol • Linoleic Acid • Linolenic Acid • Sodium Hyaluronate • Disodium EDTA • Glycolic Acid • Polysorbate 20 • Sodium Hydroxide • Cetyl Alcohol • Isododecane • Phenoxyethanol • Chlorphenesin • Benzoic Acid • Sorbic Acid • Parfum
Salicylic Acid 0.5% • Water • Butylene Glycol • Cetearyl Alcohol • Dimethicone • Sodium Polyacrylate • Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract • Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract • Morus Alba Root Extract • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract • Kojic Acid • Zinc Gluconate • Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide • Sodium Hyaluronate • Bisabolol • Allantoin • Squalane • Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters • C12-15 Alkyl Lactate • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Caprylyl Glycol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Glycerin • Ethylhexyl Palmitate • Hydrogenated Polydecene • Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin • Ppg-5-Laureth-5 • Polyquaternium-11 • Ceteareth-20 • Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate • Polysorbate 60 • Hexylene Glycol • Ppg-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate • Sodium Hydroxide • Disodium EDTA • Phenoxyethanol • Parfum
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 WaterProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 1.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 2.
Glycerin 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 GlycerinProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 2.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 24.
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 AcidProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 3.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 1.
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 4.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 4.
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
In cosmetics, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This is due to the flavonoid composition of Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract.
In Chinese traditional folk medicine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract is used to help treat lung and hypertension.
Learn more about Scutellaria Baicalensis Root ExtractProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 13.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 7.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 14.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 3.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 17.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 15.
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 EDTAProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 18.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 36.
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 HydroxideProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 21.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 35.
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.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 24.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 37.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, 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. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.
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 ParfumProactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 28.
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator contains this as ingredient number 38.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator 38 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 28 ingredients
Proactiv Complexion Perfecting Hydrator 38 ingredients
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