Simple Skincare Daily Skin Detox Purifying Face Wash Versus Garnier Skinactive Blackhead Eliminating Scrub
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water
Astringent
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingThymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc PCA
Humectant
Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Benzophenone-4, Citric Acid, Hydrated Silica, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Zinc PCA
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Perlite
Absorbent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAcrylates Copolymer
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Iron Oxides
Polyglycerin-10
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitol
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perlite, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates Copolymer, Coco-Betaine, Cocamide Mea, Glycerin, Charcoal Powder, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Iron Oxides, Polyglycerin-10, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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 HydroxideSodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying ingredient. It is created from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. SLES is not the same as sodium lauryl sulfate. It is much milder and less likely to irritate.
SLES helps create foam in personal products. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.
Learn more about Sodium Laureth SulfateWater. 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 Water
