Nø Cosmetics AHA/PHA Peeling Cleanser Versus CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser

Nø Cosmetics AHA/PHA Peeling Cleanser Versus CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser

This mild gel cleanser is mild enough to cleanse without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

Niacinamide

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Carbomer

Calcium Gluconate

Salicylic Acid

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Cholesterol

Disodium EDTA

Tetrasodium EDTA

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Phytosphingosine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Gluconolactone, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Calcium Gluconate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

Gluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.

When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.

PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.

Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:

In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.

This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.

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 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.

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.

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