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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Vichy Normaderm Phytosolution Intensive Purifying Gel versus Beauty Bay 1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel .

Last updated on December 02, 2023. Published on January 14, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 4 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, common allergens, 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.

Face Cleanser French Brand France
Face Cleanser British Brand United Kingdom

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 Normaderm Phytosolution Intensive Purifying Gel

Shop

Buy 1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel

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

Benefits

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

Concerns

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

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (3)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

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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

Vichy Normaderm Phytosolution Intensive Purifying Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.

Beauty Bay 1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Chances 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.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

Vichy Normaderm Phytosolution Intensive Purifying Gel contains this as ingredient number 5.

Beauty Bay 1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
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

Vichy Normaderm Phytosolution Intensive Purifying Gel contains this as ingredient number 9.

Beauty Bay 1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 7.

4
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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.

Vichy Normaderm Phytosolution Intensive Purifying Gel contains this as ingredient number 13.

Beauty Bay 1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel contains this as ingredient number 13.

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

41% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
41% are disliked or very disliked
6% have no rating yet
47% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
35% are disliked or very disliked
12% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Vichy Normaderm Phytosolution Intensive Purifying Gel 17 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating

Beauty Bay 1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel 17 ingredients

1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel hasn't been rated yet.
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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Vichy Normaderm Phytosolution Intensive Purifying Gel.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Beauty Bay 1% Salicylic Acid + Zinc PCA Cleansing Gel.

See 50 alternatives
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