Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser versus ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser .

Published on April 13, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 13 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA

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 harsh alcohols, oils, parabens or silicones

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens, fragrances and sulfates

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 American Brand United States
Face Cleanser American Brand United States

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).

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).

Price

Shop

Buy Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser

Starts at $4.89
Shop

Buy Exfoliating Cleanser

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

BHA
Exfoliators

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Vitamin E
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Compared

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

Water • Glycerin • Sodium Laureth Sulfate • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Sorbitol • Laureth-4 Carboxylic Acid • Ethylhexylglycerin • Acrylates Copolymer • Salicylic Acid • Sodium Benzoate • Parfum • Sodium Hydroxide • Menthol • Polyquaternium-39 • Disodium EDTA • Charcoal Powder • Mannitol • Cellulose • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose • CI 77492

Water • Sodium Laureth Sulfate • Acrylates Copolymer • Jojoba Esters • Glycerin • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine • Sodium Hydroxide • Cellulose • Mannitol • Caprylyl Alcohol • Niacin • Ammonium Lactate • Salicylic Acid • Disodium EDTA • Tocopheryl Acetate • Parfum • Limonene • Linalool • Niacinamide • Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose • Sodium PCA • Biosaccharide Gum-1 • Ethylhexylglycerin • Hexylene Glycol • Butylene Glycol • Phenoxyethanol • CI 77289

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

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

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying, Foaming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sodium 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 Sulfate

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

4
What it does: Cleansing
Community Rating: Disliked

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine. Dimethylaminopropylamine is a diamine, an amine with two amino groups.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.

Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.

While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.

Learn more about Cocamidopropyl Betaine

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 4.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.

5
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.

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 7.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 25.

6
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Acrylates Copolymer is used as a film-forming agent and texture enhancer.

After applied, Acrylates Copolymer forms a thin film cover that helps skin feel more soft. It can help sunscreens become more water-resistant.

It is also used to make a product more thick.

Learn more about Acrylates Copolymer

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.

7
What it does: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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 Acid

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.

8
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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 Parfum

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.

9
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

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 12.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.

10
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

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 EDTA

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 16.

11
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Moisturising, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Mannitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a humectant and moisturizes the skin. In vitro (not tested on a living organism), mannitol displays antioxidant properties.

When found in aqueous solutions, mannitol tends to become acidic. This is because it loses a hydrogen ion. This is why mannitol can often be found with pH adjusting ingredients, such as sodium bicarbonate.

Fun fact: Mannitol can be found in foods as a sweetener. It can be naturally found in mushrooms, algae, fruits, and veggies.

Learn more about Mannitol

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.

12
What it does: Absorbent
Community Rating: Loved

Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls. It is used as an emulsifier, absorbent, and texture enhancer.

This ingredient has many functions:

Fun fact: Cellulose is the most abundant form of organic polymer on Earth.

Learn more about Cellulose

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 18.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 10.

13
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising

This ingredient is a semi-synthetic polymer created from cellulose. In case you need a refresher, cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls.

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose has many uses:

  • emulsifier
  • create a gel-like texture
  • boost foam

up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.

ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 22.

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

29% are loved or liked
24% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
14% have no rating yet
34% are loved or liked
10% have mixed ratings
45% 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

Loading routine usage...
Loading routine usage...

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to up&up Charcoal Deep Pore Cleanser.

See 50 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser.

See 50 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...