Oil Free Acne Wash

Equate

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Equate Oil Free Acne Wash is a emulsion. Our analysis of its 17 ingredients (11 low-risk) rates it Excellent (89/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Emulsion
Ingredients
17
Low-risk
11
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
United States

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 2/5
Good for dry skin
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Caution for dry skin
Salicylic Acid Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate Sodium Hydroxide Benzalkonium Chloride PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Sensitive Skin 1/4
Good for sensitive skin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Caution for sensitive skin
Sodium Chloride Salicylic Acid Citric Acid PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate

Ingredients list

17 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (5)
All17 Skin Conditioning6 Fragrance5 Hair Conditioning3 Masking3 Viscosity Controlling3 Antistatic Agent3 Cosmetic Colorant2 Emollient2
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
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
1
Water
(Solvent)
2
B
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
(Cleansing, Foaming, Surfactant)
Sulfate
Sulfate
4
B
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Sufactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Sodium Chloride
(Bulking Agent, Masking, Oral Care Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
5
B
PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
(Fragrance, Sufactant, Surfactant, Emulsifying)
2
A
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
4
B
Benzalkonium Chloride
(Antimicrobial Agent, Antistatic Agent, Cosmetic Biocide, Deodorant, Surfactant Suspending Agent, Preservative)
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming)
1
Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning)
1
3
B
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
(Emollient, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
3
CI 19140
(Colorant, Cosmetic Colorant)
3
CI 16035
(Cosmetic Colorant)

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Salicylic Acid
Exfoliant, Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient, Humectant
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT
Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Fungal-acne (Malassezia) safe
Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Contains sulfate
May not suit dry skin
May not suit sensitive skin

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Antistatic agentHair conditioningSkin conditioningSufactantFoam boostingViscosity increasing agentViscosity controlling
Sodium Chloride
Bulking agent, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Bulking agentMaskingOral care agentViscosity controlling
Disodium EDTA
Chelating agent, Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Chelating agentViscosity controlling
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
Emollient, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 EmollientSkin conditioning
Benzalkonium Chloride
Antimicrobial agent, Antistatic agent
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Antimicrobial agentAntistatic agentCosmetic biocideDeodorantSurfactant -suspending agentPreservative
PARFUM
Fragrance, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragrancePerfuming
Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antistatic agentHair conditioning
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA FLOWER EXTRACT
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragranceSkin conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
Denaturant, Ph adjuster
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B DenaturantPh adjusterBuffering agent
CI 19140
Colorant, Cosmetic colorant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 ColorantCosmetic colorant
CI 16035
Cosmetic colorant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 Cosmetic colorant
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
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing, Foaming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR B CleansingFoamingSurfactant Sulfate
PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
Fragrance, Sufactant
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 5 CIR B FragranceSufactantSurfactantEmulsifying
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
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient, Humectant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 1–3 CIR B EmollientHumectantOral care agentSkin conditioning Good 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.

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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