Murad Clarifying Cleanser Versus The INKEY List SuperSolutions Acne Solution 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser

Murad Clarifying Cleanser Versus The INKEY List SuperSolutions Acne Solution 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser

This salicylic acid gel cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.

This benzoyl peroxide cream cleanser is formulated around Benzoyl Peroxide to clear breakouts and help reduce acne-causing bacteria.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Salicylic Acid 1.5%

Water

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Citric Acid

Urea

Yeast Amino Acids

Trehalose

Inositol

Taurine

Betaine

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Menthol

Hydrolyzed Corn Starch Octenylsuccinate

Glycerin

PPG-26-Buteth-26

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

PEG-150 Distearate

Acrylates Copolymer

Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine

Glyceryl Stearate

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Sodium Hydroxide

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Benzoic Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Limonene

Parfum

Salicylic Acid 1.5%, Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Menthol, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-150 Distearate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Parfum

Benzoyl Peroxide

Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate

Decyl Glucoside

Stearic Acid

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Sodium Chloride

Ethylhexylglycerin

Polyquaternium-10

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

T-Butyl Alcohol

Water, Glycerin, Benzoyl Peroxide, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Decyl Glucoside, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-10, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, T-Butyl Alcohol

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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.

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.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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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