Neutrogena Rapid Clear Daily Pads

Describe the brand in three words sentences.
Drugstore/Chemist. Affordable. Hit and miss. Neutrogena was one of my most-requested brands before I went to the US last month, so I picked up as much as I could.

Who is it for?
Combi/oily/acne skins.

What’s in it?
Water, Alcohol Denat. (38%), Salicylic Acid (2%), Butylene Glycol, PPG 5 Ceteth 20, C12 15 Alkyl Lactate, Cetyl Lactate, Cocamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, PEG/PPG 20/6 Dimethicone, Benzalkonium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance

What's not in it?
Menthol, camphor, acetate

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?
Alcohol, fragrance

Suitable for pregnancy?
Yes, unless you are specifically told to avoid salicylic by your individual doctor. A topical 2% over-the-counter solution is not going to cause you harm.

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?
Man-made

Tested on animals in home country/EU/sold in territories that require testing?
Unknown but unlikely/No/Yes

How does it smell?
Like booze.

How do you use it?
Acid toner, after cleansing, pre-serums. I tend to wave them around in a vain attempt to get some of the alcohol to evaporate off before I apply.

Can it be taken around the eyes?
No need.

Best for winter or summer?
Either.

How long did I test it for?
I bought it in NY last month and have tested it on spots ever since.

How much is it? /Size/Approximate cost per usage?
$8.99 for 60.

Works well with?
Serums post-application.

What’s the website like?
Good. Informative and ingredients are listed. www.neutrogena.com

How’s the distribution? Available freely or limited?
Everywhere in the US, not available in the UK.

What’s good about it?
In isolated cases, these could be used topically on active breakouts to dry them out and kill off the bacteria in acne. However:

What’s not so good about it?
The alcohol content is high, in the same levels as Clinique's Clarifying Lotions, so the benefits of the salicylic are overshadowed by the possibility of them being too drying.
If you use these, I would keep them to zap spots, not to use all over the face up to three times a day as recommended by the brand. That's crazy talk. You would absolutely be over-exfoliating and it would in all likelihood, lead to milia and red cheeks.

Would I purchase/repurchase?
No, but then I don't need them. If I had active acne, I would consider them as an affordable spot treatment, but know that you would need something hydrating/moisturising after to counteract the alcohol.

Do you need it?
See above!

Similar products?
Nip + Fab Glycolic Extreme Pads
First Aid Beauty Radiance Facial Pads

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Daily Pads are $8.99 from Ulta.com











*This post contains some affiliate links. If you are happy to click on them and support the blog, thank you very much. If you would rather not, just google the product. It's all good. See my full disclaimer here: http://bit.ly/1rpEmSq The views expressed on this site are the author's own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

Describe the brand in three words.
Affordable. Drugstore/Chemist. Simple.

What type of cleanser is it?
A cream cleanser - but it's more of a soap-style texture.

Who is it for?
It's aimed at oilier skins, but I'm dryer and dehydrated and love it.

What’s in it?
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Methyl Gluceth-20, Salicylic Acid, Steareth- 21, Gelatin, Steareth- 2, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Menthol, Polysorbate 60, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance

What's not in it?
mineral oil – it’s entirely oil-free, parabens, SLS

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?
menthol, fragrance

Suitable for pregnancy?
Yes (the salicylic is not drug level)

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?
Man made

Tested on animals in home country/EU/sold in territories that require testing?
Possibly, but doubtful, there would be no need/No/Yes

How does it smell?
It smells like soap - deliciously so.

How do you use it?
I apply to dry skin, wet my hands and massage it in. Less is more. Add more water rather than product to build it up.

Best for winter or summer?
Great for summer, but I would use this in the mornings in winter.

First cleanse/second cleanse or AM cleanse?
AM cleanse for me.

Can it be taken around the eyes?
I only go as far as the orbital bone, not actually over the lashes. The menthol would sting.

Does it remove waterproof eye makeup?
No

How long was it tested for?
I've had it for a month and used it sporadically throughout that time.

What’s good about it?
I should absolutely hate this cleanser. But like carbs, even knowing that it’s not the best for me, I love it.
It feels almost like a creamy soap, it has menthol in it, I mean it’s so far from a glowing example of cleansing product.
However: the formulators have somehow made it soft, smooth, gentle and non-drying. The menthol is refreshing rather than burning, and although completely unnecessary in a cleansing product, it honestly enhances this one for me. Can’t actually believe I’m saying all this, but there we are. I find myself reaching for it over much more ‘clean’, expensive cleansers in the mornings.
It doesn't dry out my skin and if anything my skin feels softer after cleansing. I would assume that this is down to the salicylic acid, but I sense that the amount of salicylic in this is minimal, because otherwise, being from the US, it would have to be listed as an 'Active' ingredient with a drug labelling.
I don't know what to tell you. I'm as surprised as you are.

What’s not so good about it?
If used twice daily, or even daily, it could possibly become drying. But used in the mornings a few times a week, you should be fine.
Don't be led by my strange love for it, if you have a problem with fragrance or menthol, obviously steer well clear.

How much is it? /Size/Approximate cost per usage?
$5.99 for 70z/200ml. A ridiculous bargain.

Do you need it?
Yes, if you want a quick, easy, cleanser that is beyond affordable.

Would I repurchase?
Yep

What’s the website like?
Great, lots of info and it includes the ingredients: www.neutrogena.com

How’s the distribution? Available freely or limited?
In the US, it’s everywhere. Target, WalMart, Duane Reade, CVS etc. In the UK, it's not so freely available in chemists and supermarkets. Sort it out Neutrogena please.

Similar products?
For the price range, it would be the CeraVe, Neutrogena (other products) and chemist cleansers along the lines of La Roche Posay, Avene etc, but I have yet to find anything similar in texture and results for the price.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser is available from the following stockists at varying prices:

£2.84 (!!) + shipping - Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk/Neutrogena

$5.99 - Neutrogena.com

$6.99 - Ulta.com

*This post contains some affiliate links. If you are happy to click on them and support the blog, thank you very much. If you would rather not, just google the product. It's all good.
See my full disclaimer here: http://bit.ly/1rpEmSq
The views expressed on this site are the author's own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser

Describe the brand in five words.

Affordable. Chemist/Drugstore. Simple formulas.

What is it?

'Cleanser developed for even the most sensitive and dry skins.'

Who is it for?

It says 'ideal for dry and sensitive skin' but I wouldn't go quite that far. All skin types except really dry and really sensitive.

What’s in it?

Water, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, ethylhexylglycerin, cetearyl glucoside, caprylyl glycol, carbomer, sodium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol

What's not in it?

fragrance

soap

dyes

parabens

SLS

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

Not really, but as always, you can be allergic to anything.

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?

Man-made.

Tested on animals in home country/EU/sold in territories that advocate testing?

Yes (probably)/No/Yes**

How does it smell?

N/A

How does it feel on the skin?

It's faintly creamy, like a runny cream-gel.

How do you use it?/Where to use in your routine?

Apply to dry skin, or wet skin if you prefer, massage in, flannel off.

Does it remove makeup?/1st or 2nd cleanse?

No it doesn't. 2nd cleanse or AM cleanse, hence the 'can be used on damp skin'.

How long did I test it for?

I've had it for 2 weeks.

How much is it? /Size/Approximate cost per usage?

Big. 12ozs for $9.49. Will last ages.

What’s good about it?

This is the first cleanser of this nature I have tried in a long time that has not left my skin feeling like a shrivelled up prune. It is fairly gentle, although I would stop short of saying I could use it every day without dryness becoming an issue.

My skin felt comfortable after use, it was soft and not parched. If you were particularly oily/combination I think you would like the effects of this.

In essence, this is definitely a suitable alternative to Cetaphil. Similar price bracket/claims/distribution/packaging/minimal ingredients and yet this is superior, if only due to the lack of sls, although for those of you concerned with them, it is also paraben free.

What’s not so good about it?

I would not describe this as suitable for very dry or eczema-prone skin, as it says on the bottle. It will be too harsh, regardless of the label.

Works well with?

Anything, it's a cleanser.

What’s the website like?

Good for information, but the product would no doubt be bought from huge drugstores/Target etc.

Would I purchase/repurchase?

Yes

Do you need it?

If you use Cetaphil, yes.

If you have normal/combination/oily/slightly dry skin, yes.

If you have really dry or really sensitive skin, I would stick with balms and milks.

Similar products?

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

Yes To Carrots Daily Cream Facial Cleanser

Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser is available from Ulta.com, Target.com and Walgreens.com

**Neutrogena is owned by Johnson & Johnson, they are made in the USA, which has not banned testing, sold in the EU, which has, and sold in China, which requires it on products sold into the country.


*This post contains some affiliate links. If you are happy to click on them and support the blog, thank you very much. If you would rather not, just google the product. It's all good. See my full disclaimer here: http://bit.ly/1rpEmSq The views expressed on this site are the author's own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.