The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash Versus theBalm Cosmetics To The Rescue Gentle Face Scrub
This salicylic acid foaming cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Sodium Gluconate
ChelatingCalophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Menthol
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Leptospermum Petersonii Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sodium Gluconate, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Allantoin, Menthol, Panthenol, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Leptospermum Petersonii Oil, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, CI 19140, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sucrose
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Isostearyl Hydroxystearate
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantCetearyl Olivate
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLimonene
Perfuming
Saccharomyces/Camellia Sinensis Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Centella Asiatica/Gleditsia Sinensis Thorn/Houttuynia Cordata Extract/Phellodendron Amurense Bark/Polygonum Cuspidatum Root/Prunella Vulgaris/Torilis Japonica Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Bacillus/Cordyceps Sinensis/Ganoderma Lucidum/Inonotus Obliquus/Lentinus Edodes/Phellinus Linteus/Schizophyllum Commune/Tricholoma Matsutake Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose, Silica, Triethylhexanoin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Isostearyl Hydroxystearate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sorbitan Olivate, Parfum, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Palmitate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phytosterols, Phospholipids, Linoleic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Butylene Glycol, Trideceth-6, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Sodium Chloride, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Limonene, Saccharomyces/Camellia Sinensis Extract Ferment Filtrate, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Centella Asiatica/Gleditsia Sinensis Thorn/Houttuynia Cordata Extract/Phellodendron Amurense Bark/Polygonum Cuspidatum Root/Prunella Vulgaris/Torilis Japonica Extract Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Bacillus/Cordyceps Sinensis/Ganoderma Lucidum/Inonotus Obliquus/Lentinus Edodes/Phellinus Linteus/Schizophyllum Commune/Tricholoma Matsutake Extract Ferment Filtrate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimoneneChances 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 ChlorideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
