All scans / Cleansers / Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment ingredients: is it worth it?
Mediocre acne cleanser dragged down by harsh sulfonate surfactant that risks barrier stripping despite solid 2% salicylic acid.
Mediocre acne cleanser dragged down by harsh sulfonate surfactant that risks barrier stripping despite solid 2% salicylic acid.
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Efficacy score of 3.8 reflects full credit for contact-active 2% salicylic acid (effective in rinse-off per cleanser rules) but heavy deduction for Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate as #2 ingredient (aggressive primary cleanser, scores 1.5-2.5 range), partially offset by mild Cocamidopropyl Betaine co-surfactant; no pH specified but citric acid suggests acne-appropriate range; fragrance and dyes add irritation risk without efficacy boost.
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DemythSkin rates Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment 3.6/5 for efficacy and 3.5/5 for safety.
CONTAINS COMMON SENSITISERS⌄
Fragrance components and essential oils that more often cause reactions in sensitive skin: Fragrance. Most people tolerate them; patch test if your skin reacts easily.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Salicylic Acid 2%. Purpose: Acne treatment. Inactive ingredients: Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Benzalkonium Chloride, Fragrance, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Yellow 5, Red 40 Directions Cleanse twice a day. Wet face. Apply to hands, add water and work into a lather. Massage face gently. Rinse thoroughly. Other information Store at Room Temperature. Questions
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (19)⌄
- Salicylic Acid
- Acne treatment active
- Water
- Solvent base
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
- Harsh sulfonate surfactant
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Mild co-surfactant
- Sodium Chloride
- Thickener
- PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate
- Emulsifier
- Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- Disodium EDTA
- Chelating agent
- C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
- Emollient
- Benzalkonium Chloride
- Preservative antimicrobial
- Fragrance
- Scent
- Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
- Conditioning agent
- Glycerin
- Humectant
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
- Soothing extract
- Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
- Calming extract
- Propylene Glycol
- Humectant solvent
- Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
- Yellow 5
- Colorant
- Red 40
- Colorant
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Salicylic Acid: Contact-active BHA for acne in rinse-off products
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate: Harsh sulfonate strips barrier
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment: common questions
Is Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment worth it?
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment scores 3.6 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Modest) and 3.5 out of 5.0 for safety (Mostly Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. Mediocre acne cleanser dragged down by harsh sulfonate surfactant that risks barrier stripping despite solid 2% salicylic acid.
What are the key active ingredients in Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment?
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Salicylic Acid.
Does Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment as documented irritants: Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Fragrance. This product does contain fragrance.
How is Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Fighting Face Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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