IMAGE skincare Clear Cell Medicated Acne Lotion Versus Cetaphil Gentle Clear Acne Mattifying Moisturizer

IMAGE skincare Clear Cell Medicated Acne Lotion Versus Cetaphil Gentle Clear Acne Mattifying Moisturizer

This acne moisturizer is formulated around Benzoyl Peroxide and Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.

This acne moisturizer is formulated around Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate and Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Benzoyl Peroxide 5%

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Oligopeptide-10

Cetearyl Olivate

Syringa Vulgaris Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Sorbitan Olivate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Stearic Acid

Sucrose Cocoate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Maltodextrin

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil

Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil

Disodium EDTA

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

Arnica Montana Flower Extract

Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Boswellia Serrata Extract

Honey Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Butylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Benzoyl Peroxide 5%, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oligopeptide-10, Cetearyl Olivate, Syringa Vulgaris Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Stearic Acid, Sucrose Cocoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Maltodextrin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Disodium EDTA, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Honey Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Polyacrylate

Glycerin

Ceteareth-20

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide

Salicylic Acid

Polysorbate 60

Squalane

Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

Zinc Gluconate

C12-15 Alkyl Lactate

Morus Alba Root Extract

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters

Sodium Hydroxide

PPG-5-Laureth-5

Kojic Acid

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract

Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Polyquaternium-11

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Caprylyl Glycol, Zinc Gluconate, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Morus Alba Root Extract, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Sodium Hydroxide, PPG-5-Laureth-5, Kojic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Polyquaternium-11, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate

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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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Hexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.

It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.

As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.

Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.

This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.

A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.

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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