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 C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Acrylates Copolymer
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium PCA
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingPotassium Benzoate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Coco-Betaine, Betaine, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium PCA, Tromethamine, Potassium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Salicylic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Cocos Nucifera Water
Masking
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Crambe Maritima Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGarcinia Mangostana Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Kaolin
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Copper Chlorophyll
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Allantoin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cocos Nucifera Water, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Crambe Maritima Leaf Extract, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Kaolin, Parfum, Copper Chlorophyll
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 AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a surfactant that helps water and oil mix so that dirt, sweat, sebum, and sunscreen can rinse away easily. It's not technically a sulfate, but behaves similarly in formulas.
What it does:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a strong cleansing surfactant and is much stronger than many mild cleansers. Because it works deeply, it can disrupt the skin's barrier. This can lead to dryness or irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Compared to gentler surfactants, it's effective but more likely to dry or irritate if not balanced with soothing ingredients.
CIR considers sodium α-olefin sulfonates (including C14-16) to be safe for use in rinse-off products when properly formulated. It is poorly absorbed through normal skin but absorption increases if the skin barrier is already damaged.
Learn more about Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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
