Versus

Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel Versus Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Face Wash Cream Cleanser

Face Cleanser
Face Cleanser
French Brand France
American Brand United States

Updated on June 07, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or silicones

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Masking, Perfuming

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum
Buffering

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

When to use

647 Routines
47% use in am
53% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
22 Routines
55% use in am
45% use in pm
100% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel 21 ingredients

2.5 /5
from 11 ratings
Irritating (4) Works Well (3) Great Value (3)
laila.21's avatar

Laila

1 year ago
Review

The best water-based cleanser i used so far!
It doesn’t dry my skin out at all and actually leaves it looking glowy and hydrated.
It has a slight scent, but even i have a sensitive acne prone skin it didn’t bother at all nor cause an allergic reaction.

#great value
#light scent
#works well
Elfin1's avatar

Elfin1

7 months ago
Review

i have oily skin and this broke me out so bad even though it feels like it cleans my face properly.

#broke me out
#irritating

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Face Wash Cream Cleanser 19 ingredients

Oil-Free Acne Face Wash Cream Cleanser hasn't been rated yet.
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