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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 versus Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US .

Last updated on October 29, 2023. Published on October 05, 2020

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, scar healing and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any oils, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

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

Sunscreen American Brand United States
General Moisturizer American Brand United States

Sunscreen

Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Price

Shop

Buy Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20

Starts at $30.00
Shop

Buy Hydro Boost Water Gel

Starts at $19.99

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
20
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (4)
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Ceramides
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (4)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (3)

Benefits

Hydrating (4)
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger
Rosacea (2)
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 1.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.

Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 4.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 5.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 2.

4
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 12.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 34.

5
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 13.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 33.

6
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 20.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 6.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 27.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 27.

8
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 30.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 20.

9
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 contains this as ingredient number 34.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US contains this as ingredient number 32.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

26% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
50% are disliked or very disliked
12% have no rating yet
59% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
26% are disliked or very disliked
3% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 34 ingredients

Facial Fuel Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 20 hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel 34 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 16 reviews
jeanpaul2301's Avatar'
Jul 9, 2021

Great mosturizer!
Tried this out of curiosity with my mom, both of us were pleased with our results. She has normal to dry skin and I have combo skin with fungal acne. She uses this everyday as soon as she gets out of the shower; without...

Great mosturizer!
Tried this out of curiosity with my mom, both of us were pleased with our results. She has normal to dry skin and I have combo skin with fungal acne. She uses this everyday as soon as she gets out of the shower; without it her skin would feel dry as a desert. In my case, I put this on after using the Cetaphil daily facial cleanser. I know this product isn't fungal acne safe but I have combo skin, so I put it on the areas of my face that instead of having fungal acne, are kind of dry (mostly my cheeks, nose and neck). This moisturizer makes my skin feel refreshed, hydrated and healthy. It definitely has fragrance, but It's nice and light. I won't give it 5 stars just because it isn't fungal acne safe:)

Region: US
JohnnyLeeZongHeng_352's Avatar'
Mar 31, 2023

Overrated moisturizer and it's expensive
I've used three tubs of this and my skin has gotten worse. The first two I noticed my skin gotten oilier than usual, but I want to trust the process like any other people. But I got a breakout on...

Overrated moisturizer and it's expensive
I've used three tubs of this and my skin has gotten worse. The first two I noticed my skin gotten oilier than usual, but I want to trust the process like any other people. But I got a breakout on my third tub so I switched to other products and my skin has gotten so much better. This is definitely not for oily skin that needs sebum control..

Region: US
cgi's Avatar'
May 3, 2021

I want to say I love it
This moisturizer isn’t even that bad, in fact it’s the first moisturizer that made my skin feel like a baby’s bum when I first got into the skincare world. It made my skin smooth within a month or so. It’s very...

I want to say I love it
This moisturizer isn’t even that bad, in fact it’s the first moisturizer that made my skin feel like a baby’s bum when I first got into the skincare world. It made my skin smooth within a month or so. It’s very lightweight and looks clear when you put it on. When you apply it, you might have to protect your face because it does take a couple of minutes to absorb into your skin. Though it was formulated for dry/extremely dry skin, I bought this product even though I have oily skin because I’ve seen many dermatologists recommend it to those with dehydrated oily skin or just oily skin in general. It smells good, but since it does have fragrance I would not recommend this to those with sensitive skin. I love the way it feels on my face but I feel like it just doesn’t pair with the other skincare products I own. I only use this occasionally when my skin feels a little dehydrated. Other than that, I’d totally recommend this to those with dehydrated oily skin and extremely dry skin!

Region: US

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel US.

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