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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Derma Co 2% Salicylic Acid Serum versus Dot & Key Skincare 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum .

Last updated on November 02, 2023. Published on December 10, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe serums. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

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

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum Indian Brand India
Serum Indian Brand India

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy 2% Salicylic Acid Serum

Shop

Buy 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E
Exfoliators
Niacinamide
Ceramides (5)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (7)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (9)
Reduces Irritation (8)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (5)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Rosacea
Eczema
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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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.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: 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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

The Derma Co 2% Salicylic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Dot & Key Skincare 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethoxydiglycol is a synthetic solvent.

Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.

Ethoxydiglycol also helps deliver other key ingredients into the skin.

Learn more about Ethoxydiglycol

The Derma Co 2% Salicylic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

Dot & Key Skincare 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Glycerin

The Derma Co 2% Salicylic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Dot & Key Skincare 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

The Derma Co 2% Salicylic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

Dot & Key Skincare 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.

5
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Stabilising
Community Rating: Mixed

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

Hydroxyethylcellulose helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

Learn more about Hydroxyethylcellulose

The Derma Co 2% Salicylic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

Dot & Key Skincare 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.

6
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

The Derma Co 2% Salicylic Acid Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

Dot & Key Skincare 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

29% are loved or liked
36% have mixed ratings
36% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
60% are loved or liked
20% have mixed ratings
10% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Derma Co 2% Salicylic Acid Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 49 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Dot & Key Skincare 10% Niacinamide And Cica Ultimate Spotless Glow Serum.

See 49 alternatives
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