Educational guide
Acnemy Zitclean Purifying Cleansing Gel Versus Nø Cosmetics AHA/PHA Peeling Cleanser
Acnemy Zitclean Purifying Cleansing Gel Versus Nø Cosmetics AHA/PHA Peeling Cleanser This salicylic acid gel cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores. This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin
This guide cannot diagnose a condition or recommend a personal treatment plan. Discuss medical questions with a qualified professional.
Acnemy Zitclean Purifying Cleansing Gel Versus Nø Cosmetics AHA/PHA Peeling Cleanser
This salicylic acid gel cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.
This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Propanediol
Glycerin
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Sphingomonas Ferment Extract
Salicylic Acid
Morinda Citrifolia Callus Culture Lysate
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract
Ceramide NP
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Decyl Glucoside
Sodium Cocoyl Rice Amino Acids
Xanthan Gum
Carbomer
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Phosphatidylcholine
Mannitol
Cholesterol
Citric Acid
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Benzoate
Potassium Sorbate
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Salicylic Acid, Morinda Citrifolia Callus Culture Lysate, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Ceramide NP, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Rice Amino Acids, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Phosphatidylcholine, Mannitol, Cholesterol, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Carboxymethyl Starch
Butylene Glycol
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Lauryl Glucoside
Gluconolactone
Sodium Lactate
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
Pseudozyma Epicola/Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil/Olive Fruit Oil/Sunflower Seed Oil/(Angelica Gigas/Licorice/Lithospermum Erythrorhizon) Root Ferment Extract Filtrate
Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Panthenol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Inulin
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Lecithin
Coconut Acid
Sodium Citrate
Propylene Glycol
Sorbic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Lactic Acid
Water, Sodium Carboxymethyl Starch, Butylene Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Gluconolactone, Sodium Lactate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil/Olive Fruit Oil/Sunflower Seed Oil/(Angelica Gigas/Licorice/Lithospermum Erythrorhizon) Root Ferment Extract Filtrate, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Inulin, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycerin, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Coconut Acid, Sodium Citrate, Propylene Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Lactic Acid
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Decyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
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!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.