Norse Organics is a skincare brand that uses exotic Arctic ingredients like cold pressed thistle oil. The brand claims their product line can "Stop Acne Fast."

But does Norse Organics contain ingredients proven effective against acne? Does the brand use any unhealthy ingredients? And is Norse Organics better or worse than popular anti-acne products like CeraVe Acne Control Gel?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Norse Organics' most popular product (Acne & Redness Killer) to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.

We'll also compare Norse Organics to other popular anti-acne products from CeraVe and other brands.

Key takeaways:

• Some mislabeled ingredient information on website
• Healthy and naturally-derived active ingredients
• We do not currently recommend Norse Organics due to ingredient labeling issues

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Norse Organics Acne & Redness Killer are shown below:

image source: https://norseorganics.co/

There are some strange naming convention errors here we want to point out, because they suggest a lack of expertise with medicinal plants.

Cold-pressed thistle oil and sea buckthorn extract are both listed with the botanical name Carthamus tinctorius, which is incorrect for either. Carthamus tinctorius is the botanical name for safflower (source).

We urge the brand to update their ingredient list with accurate information, because mislabeled ingredient information is a consumer safety issue.

Lavender essential oil was described as having anti-acne effects in a medical review published in the Plants journal:

This compound was described as "one of the most valuable oils used in cosmetology, pharmacy, medicine, and aromatherapy due to its strong antibacterial and antifungal properties."

Sea buckthorn oil is clinically shown to have anti-acne effects, but it's unclear if this ingredient is included in this product due to the labeling issues referenced above.

Beeswax has been shown in research studies to have antimicrobial activity, as we discussed in our article on is Carmex bad for you, so this ingredient may also have anti-acne effects.

The good news about this product is it has no unhealthy additives like fragrance or synthetic dye.

Overall, we don't currently recommend Norse Organics Acne & Redness Killer due to our concerns about ingredient labeling.

However, if the brand updates their ingredient information, we will consider recommending it, because we consider this to be a healthier formulation than average.

Norse Organics vs. Anti-Acne Creams

Here's how Norse Organics compares to other popular anti-acne products in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:

CeraVe Acne Control Gel

Contains research-backed active ingredient, but a few synthetic preservatives we consider potentially unhealthy. Much cheaper than Norse Organics, so perhaps better for budget shoppers.

Winner: Norse Organics

Curology

Contains potent active ingredients, but fails to publish any inactive ingredient information on their website at the time of our most recent article update.

Winner: Norse Organics

Adapalene Gel

FDA-approved for the treatment of acne. Also has a very mild side effect profile, as we documented in our adapalene gel review article.

We would consider revising this pick if Norse Organics resolves the ingredient labeling issue.

Winner: Adapalene Gel

Our Clean Anti-Acne Picks

Ritual Synbiotic+ is our top probiotic supplement pick, and oral supplementation with probiotics is clinically shown to be effective against mild-to-moderate acne, due to the positive effects on gut health.

MBG Vitamin D3 Potency+ is our top vitamin D3 supplement, and a 2022 meta-analysis reported that individuals with acne had "significantly low vitamin D levels."

Both of the supplements recommended in this section are free of ingredients we consider unhealthy.

Norse Organics Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Research-backed active ingredients
• Should help to reduce acne
• No unhealthy additives
  
• Plastic-free packaging
• Healthier than most commercial alternatives

Cons:

• Some botanical ingredients mislabeled on brand's website
• Very expensive
• Doesn't appear to be clinically tested

Conclusion

Norse Organics is a very promising brand in our view.

The mission of research-backed Arctic herbs and clean formulations resonates with us, and it seems like the brand is well on its way to achieving that.

We don't currently recommend Norse Organics due to some ingredients on their site being mislabeled, which is a consumer safety issue.

We hope that the brand rectifies these ingredient discrepancies, because we would consider recommending this brand if this issue didn't exist.

There are no unhealthy additives in Norse Organics Acne & Redness Killer, which is uncommon for a cosmetic formulation.

Most of the online customer reviews that we came across while researching this article were positive.

We consider Norse Organics to be better-formulated than CeraVe Acne Control Gel and Curology, but less likely to be effective than adapalene gel.