Blemish Breakthrough Triple-Acid Resurfacing Serum

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Blemish Breakthrough Triple-Acid Resurfacing Serum

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About this product

The e.l.f. Cosmetics Blemish Breakthrough Triple-Acid Resurfacing Serum is a exfoliating scrubs & peeling gel. Our analysis of its 16 ingredients (13 low-risk) rates it Excellent (94/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Exfoliating Scrubs & Peeling Gel
Ingredients
16
Low-risk
13
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States
Data updated
Jun 2026

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 1/6
Good for dry skin
Butylene Glycol
Caution for dry skin
Xanthan Gum Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside Salicylic Acid Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate Tranexamic Acid
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 2/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid Tranexamic Acid
Sensitive Skin 0/6
Caution for sensitive skin
Butylene Glycol Salicylic Acid Citric Acid Sodium Benzoate Acacia Senegal Gum Phenoxyethanol

Ingredients list

16 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (4)
All16 Skin Conditioning13 Fragrance6 Masking5 Preservative3 Surfactant3 Viscosity Controlling3 Emulsion Stabilising2 Emulsifying2
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
A
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
1
Lactobionic Acid
(Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
Tranexamic Acid
(Cosmetic Astringent, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
4
B
Salicylic Acid
(Antiacne Agent, Antidandruff Agent, Corn/Callus/Wart Remover, Denaturant, Exfoliant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Keratolytic, Masking, Preservative)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
3
A
Acacia Senegal Gum
(Adhesive, Fragrance, Film Forming, Masking)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
(Cleansing, Foaming, Surfactant)
1
B
Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
B
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
3
A
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking)
1
A
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
2
A
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

BHA
Unclogs pores and reduces excess oil.
PHA
Gently exfoliates and hydrates with less irritation.
Niacinamide
Strengthens, smooths, and brightens skin.
Tranexamic Acid
Helps fade dark spots and even skin tone.

Benefits

BrighteningRestores radiance to dull, tired skin.
Acne FightingFights acne and helps prevent breakouts.
Good For Oily SkinBalances oil and helps reduce shine.
Reduces Large PoresMinimizes the look of enlarged pores.
Skin TextureSmooths rough patches and refines texture.
Anti-AgingSoftens lines and helps skin look youthful.
Reduces IrritationEases discomfort and supports skin resilience.
Redness ReducingSoothes visible redness and calms irritation.

Concerns

Contains paraben
May not suit dry skin
May not suit sensitive skin

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Niacinamide
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSmoothing
Lactobionic Acid
Ph adjuster, Buffering agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Ph adjusterBuffering agent
Tranexamic Acid
Cosmetic astringent, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Cosmetic astringentSkin conditioning
Acacia Senegal Gum
Adhesive, Fragrance
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A AdhesiveFragranceFilm formingMasking
Xanthan Gum
Binding agent, Emulsion stabilising
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Binding agentEmulsion stabilisingSkin conditioningSurfactant -emulsifying agentViscosity increasing agentBindingGel formingViscosity controlling
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
Cleansing, Foaming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CleansingFoamingSurfactant
Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin conditioning, Emulsifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioningEmulsifyingSurfactant
Sodium Benzoate
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A FragrancePreservativeAnticorrosiveMasking
Disodium EDTA
Chelating agent, Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Chelating agentViscosity controlling
Ethylhexylglycerin
Deodorant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A DeodorantSkin conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Salicylic Acid
Antiacne agent, Antidandruff agent
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Antiacne agentAntidandruff agentCorn/callus/wart removerDenaturantExfoliantFragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningKeratolyticMaskingPreservative Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Citric Acid
Chelating agent, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A Chelating agentFragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking Bad for Sensitive Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening, start slow: Best in the PM a few times a week to begin with; avoid layering with other strong actives the same night.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Use with caution
BHA (salicylic) (Salicylic Acid)

Low-strength topical salicylic acid (BHA) is generally considered fine. Caution is usually reserved for high-strength leave-on products and salicylic peels.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Niacinamide 2–5% (up to 10%)

Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

BHA (salicylic) 0.5–2%

Salicylic acid is OTC-capped at 2%; 0.5–2% is the usual leave-on range. Much below that it acts more as a soothing agent than an exfoliant.

Salicylic Acid

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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