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Skin science article

Boots Skin Clear 2 Hour Spot Gel Versus PCA Skin Acne Gel

Boots Skin Clear 2 Hour Spot Gel Versus PCA Skin Acne Gel This acne treatment is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and refine the look of pores. This acne treatment is formulated around Lactic Acid and Azelaic Acid to clear breakouts and fade

Boots Skin Clear 2 Hour Spot Gel Versus PCA Skin Acne Gel

This acne treatment is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and refine the look of pores.

This acne treatment is formulated around Lactic Acid and Azelaic Acid to clear breakouts and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Alcohol Denat.

Butylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Sodium Citrate

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Xanthan Gum

Ammonium Glycyrrhizate

Water, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate

Sd Alcohol 40-B

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Lactic Acid

Azelaic Acid

Kojic Acid

Phenylethyl Resorcinol

Glutathione

Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract

BHT

Sd Alcohol 40-B, Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Butylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Kojic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Glutathione, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, BHT

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

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.

This ingredient 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.

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  4. 04Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  5. 05Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
  6. 06Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
  7. 07Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
  8. 08The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
  9. 09There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
  10. 10Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
  11. 11The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
  12. 12This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
  13. 13It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
  14. 14We don't have a description for Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate yet.
  15. 15Oleth-3 Phosphate is created from phosphoric acid and Oleth-3.
  16. 16It is used as an emulsifier to prevent ingredients from separating.
  17. 17This helper ingredient is a surfactant and emulsifier. It is created from coconut alcohol.
  18. 18Surfactants help reduce surface tension while emulsifiers prevent ingredients from separating.
  19. 19Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
  20. 20It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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PCA Skin Acne Gel

PCA Skin Acne Gel PCA Skin Acne Gel ingredients explained: Salicylic Acid (2%), Water/Aqua/Eau, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Ethoxydiglycol, Azelaic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellul…

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03

Comparison edit

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