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cerave Acne Foaming… vs Clinique Take the Da… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser vs Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser scores 8.1/9.8 vs Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm at 6.0/9.8. cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser wins for active ingredients.

Head to head

cerave

Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

cleanser

8.1

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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.

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Clinique

Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

cleansermid-range

6.0

Buy at Amazon

Score comparison

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser takes this one, winning 3 of 5 attributes.

cerave wins 3

Tied 2

Clinique wins 0

9.0

cerave

Clinique

Ingredient face-off

4% overlap

27cerave

1Shared

7Clinique

Only in cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

26 unique

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

Shared ingredients

1 in common

Phenoxyethanol

Only in Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

6 unique

Ethylhexyl Palmitate Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate Polyethylene Tocopheryl Acetate Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil

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 Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm's 2.0. Its formula features Benzoyl Peroxide 4%. Water, Ceramide Np, and Ceramide Ap in high positions, signalling meaningful concentrations.

Ingredient Transparency is another area of separation. cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser scores 8.5 here versus 6.0 for Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm. 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, while clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm relies on Tocopheryl Acetate. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

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

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm is better if you have

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

Value comparison

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm comes in at mid-range pricing with a 6.0 score, which is reasonable for what you get.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+2.1 lead

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

8.1cerave

✶

6.0Clinique

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser or Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm?

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

Do cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser and Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm share ingredients?

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

What's the main difference between cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser and Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm?

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

Full analysis: cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser→Full analysis: Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm→

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