Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment Versus First Aid Beauty Acne Spot Treatment Gel 2% Salicylic Acid

Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment Versus First Aid Beauty Acne Spot Treatment Gel 2% Salicylic Acid

This acne treatment is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.

This acne treatment is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Urea to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Salicylic Acid 2%

Alcohol Denat.

Water

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Polyacrylamide

Glycerin

Cyclopentasiloxane

C13-14 Isoparaffin

C12-15 Alkyl Lactate

Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Cetyl Lactate

PPG-2 Isoceteth-20 Acetate

Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate

Laureth-7

Polysorbate 20

Phenethyl Dimethicone

Parfum

Dehydroxanthan Gum

Propylene Glycol

Benzalkonium Chloride

Ammonia

Tetrasodium EDTA

Butylene Glycol

Capryloyl Glycine

Sarcosine

Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract

Cedrus Atlantica Bark Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Salicylic Acid 2%, Alcohol Denat., Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Polyacrylamide, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, C13-14 Isoparaffin, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Lactate, PPG-2 Isoceteth-20 Acetate, Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Laureth-7, Polysorbate 20, Phenethyl Dimethicone, Parfum, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Benzalkonium Chloride, Ammonia, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Capryloyl Glycine, Sarcosine, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Sodium Hydroxide

Glycolic Acid

Urea

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Bisabolol

Colloidal Oatmeal

Maltodextrin

Carica Papaya Fruit Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Salix Nigra Bark Extract

Disodium Phosphate

Polysorbate 60

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Sodium Phosphate

Citric Acid

Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycolic Acid, Urea, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Bisabolol, Colloidal Oatmeal, Maltodextrin, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Phosphate, Citric Acid

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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.

Glycerin (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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It 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.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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!

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