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Alpha Skin Care Refr… vs cerave Acne Foaming… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash vs cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser scores 8.1/9.8 vs Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash at 6.2/9.8. cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser wins for active ingredients.

Head to head

Alpha Skin Care

Refreshing Face Wash

cleanser

6.2

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Ingredients

Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Salicylic Acid

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Honest skincare intel. No jargon, no gatekeeping — just the ingredients decoded.

cerave

Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

cleanser

8.1

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Score comparison

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser takes this one, winning 4 of 5 attributes.

Alpha Skin Care wins 0

Tied 1

cerave wins 4

14Alpha Skin Care

4Shared

27cerave

Only in Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash

10 unique

Water Decyl Glucoside Cocamidopropyl Betaine Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate Peg-3 Distearate Sodium Laureth Sulfate Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate Diazolidinyl Urea Idopropyny Butylcarbamate

Shared ingredients

4 in common

Glycerin Citric Acid Propylene Glycol Sodium Chloride

Only in cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

23 unique

Benzoyl Peroxide 4%. Water Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate Xanthan Gum Potassium Hydroxide Ceramide Np Ceramide Ap Ceramide Eop Carbomer Niacinamide+13 more

Why cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser comes out ahead

Where cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser really shines is active ingredient strength, scoring 7.8 compared to Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash's 2.0. Its formula features Benzoyl Peroxide 4%. Water, Ceramide Np, and Ceramide Ap in high positions, signalling meaningful concentrations.

Hydration Efficacy is another area of separation. cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser scores 6.2 here versus 3.6 for Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser brings Benzoyl Peroxide 4%. Water, Ceramide Np, and Ceramide Ap as actives, giving it an edge in targeted skincare benefits.

Best for your skin type

Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Targeting specific concerns like aging or uneven tone — Benzoyl Peroxide 4%. Water does the heavy lifting
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+1.9 lead

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser wins this comparison with a meaningfully stronger ingredient profile and overall score.

6.2Alpha Skin Care

8.1cerave

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash or cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser?

Based on ingredient analysis, cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash and cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser share ingredients?

Yes, they share common ingredients. Check the ingredient face-off section above for a detailed comparison.

What's the main difference between Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash and cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser?

The key differences are in their active ingredients and formulation approach. Check the attribute battle above for a detailed breakdown.

Full analysis: Alpha Skin Care Refreshing Face Wash→Full analysis: cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser→

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