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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub US versus Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub .

Last updated on February 08, 2024. Published on March 22, 2022

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain BHA and exfoliants

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin and oily skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, oils, 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 need an update? Let us know.

Exfoliator American Brand United States
Face Cleanser French Brand France

Exfoliator

Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Price

Shop

Buy Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub

Starts at $8.99
Shop

Buy Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub

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
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

BHA
Exfoliators

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Exfoliators (4)

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (2)
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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: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

This multitasking property makes it a great ingredient for cleaning out pores, controlling oil production, and reducing inflammation.

Unlike AHAs which are water soluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.

Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.

It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing a Salicylic Acid into your routine.

In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun-sensitivity, we still recommend wearing SPF.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

Learn more about Salicylic Acid

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub US contains this as ingredient number 1.

Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub contains this as ingredient number 24.

2
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

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub US contains this as ingredient number 2.

Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub contains this as ingredient number 1.

3
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub US contains this as ingredient number 15.

Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub contains this as ingredient number 18.

4
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term '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. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

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

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

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

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub US contains this as ingredient number 22.

Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub contains this as ingredient number 26.

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

14% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
50% are disliked or very disliked
27% have no rating yet
31% are loved or liked
15% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
12% have no rating yet

Usage

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

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub 22 ingredients

Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub hasn't been rated yet.
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Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub 26 ingredients

1.3 /5
from 3 ratings
JuliaTrancoso_671's avatar

JuliaTrancoso_671

2 years ago · Combination Skin
Review

Never again.
Besides the very strong smell, it left my skin (combination) extremely irritated.

silverconcept's avatar

silverconcept

6 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

absolutely not
Dried my skin and caused breakouts. So much happier after switching.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 5 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Salicylic Acid Daily Face Scrub US.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 36 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Garnier Pure Active Intensive 3 in 1 Charcoal Blackhead Mask Wash Scrub.

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