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Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub versus CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser .
Last updated on September 19, 2023. Published on December 29, 2022
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates
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
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).
Ingredient Info
Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub 22 ingredients
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub 22 ingredients
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub 22 ingredients
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
Water • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine • Sorbitol • Cellulose • Salicylic Acid • Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate • Acrylates Crosspolymer-4 • C12-15 Alkyl Lactate • Panthenol • Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate • Talc • Disodium Tetrapropenyl Succinate • Cera Microcristallina • Sodium Chloride • Disodium EDTA • Citric Acid • Sodium Hydroxide • Benzalkonium Chloride • Parfum • CI 19140 • CI 73360
Salicylic Acid 2% • Water • Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate • Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine • Glycerin • Niacinamide • Gluconolactone • Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate • Peg-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate • Ceramide NP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide EOP • Carbomer • Calcium Gluconate • Triethyl Citrate • Sodium Benzoate • Sodium Hydroxide • Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate • Cholesterol • Tetrasodium EDTA • Caprylyl Glycol • Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Xanthan Gum • Hectorite • Phytosphingosine • Benzoic Acid
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterNeutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub contains this as ingredient number 1.
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is a synthetic cleansing agent, though it is derived from coconut oil.
It is used to enhance the texture of products by boosting lather and thickening the texture. As a cleanser, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is mild.
Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub contains this as ingredient number 3.
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 4.
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 AcidNeutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub contains this as ingredient number 6.
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 HydroxideNeutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub contains this as ingredient number 18.
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 17.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub 22 ingredients
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub 22 ingredients
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub 22 ingredients
Hubayobi
I use this product twice a week as an exfoliating mask. My combination skin is loving this product. Clearing up the skin but I will say that if you...
I use this product twice a week as an exfoliating mask. My combination skin is loving this product. Clearing up the skin but I will say that if you have sensitive skin it will be too much. A bit hard to wash it. It has a bit minty feeling afterwards but I’m loving it.
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser 27 ingredients
BrianO_698
I use micellar water then follow-up with this cleanser. I witnessed a reduction in almost all new acne spots. Should be used as a deep-clean...
I use micellar water then follow-up with this cleanser. I witnessed a reduction in almost all new acne spots. Should be used as a deep-clean solution. I used the Vichy Normaderm Phytocleanser before this Cerave cleanser and I notice a considerably deeper clean than the latter.
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CentellaAddict
Great for acne
Using this twice a day stopped me from breaking out often and has helped me dramatically in controlling my acne. Didn't do much for...
Great for acne
Using this twice a day stopped me from breaking out often and has helped me dramatically in controlling my acne. Didn't do much for my oiliness or my sebaceous filaments, 2x daily use may have also stripped my skin but I was expecting this lol
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Clear & Defend Facial Scrub.
See 2 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 18 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser.
See 18 alternatives
