✶

cerave Acne Foaming… vs Thrive face wash — Which Is Better? | Gracie

Products
Ingredients
Brands
K-Beauty
Blog
How We Score

Gracie
/Compare
/cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser
/vs
/Thrive face wash

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser vs Thrive face wash

cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser scores 8.1/9.8 vs Thrive face wash at 6.2/9.8. cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser wins for active ingredients.

Head to head

cerave

Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

cleanser

8.1

Buy at Amazon

Compare

Best Moisturisers
Best Serums
Best Cleansers
Best SPF

Ingredients

Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Salicylic Acid

K-Beauty

K-Beauty Hub
K-Beauty Moisturisers
K-Beauty Serums
K-Beauty Sunscreens

About

Methodology
About Us
All Brands
All Products

Gracie

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

Thrive

face wash

cleanser

6.2

Buy at Amazon

Score comparison

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

cerave wins 3

Tied 2

Thrive wins 0

9.0

cerave

Thrive

Ingredient face-off

11% overlap

27cerave

3Shared

14Thrive

Only in cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

24 unique

Benzoyl Peroxide 4%. Water Propylene Glycol Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate Potassium Hydroxide Ceramide Np Ceramide Ap Ceramide Eop Carbomer Niacinamide+14 more

Shared ingredients

3 in common

Glycerin Xanthan Gum Citric Acid

Only in Thrive face wash

11 unique

Aqua/Water Coco-Glucoside Arrabidaea Chica Extract Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Sebacate Polyglyceryl-6 Caprate/Caprylate Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Hamelia Patens Extract Lippa Alba Oil Natural Fragrance (Of Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Anise, Guaiacwood, Cedarwood, Peppermint, Davana, Patchouli, Vetiver, Clove 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 Thrive 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 3.8 for Thrive 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, while thrive face wash relies on Arrabidaea Chica Extract and Hamelia Patens Extract. 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

Thrive face wash is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
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.

8.1cerave

6.2Thrive

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: cerave Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser or Thrive face wash?

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 Thrive face wash 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 Thrive face wash?

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: Thrive face wash→

We may earn a commission from purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep Gracie free and independent.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. We may earn a commission from purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep Gracie free and independent.

Dehydroacetic Acid

+1 more