Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask versus Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on September 22, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both face cleansers. They have a total of 7 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, parabens or silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
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).
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
Ingredient Info
Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask 19 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser 18 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:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
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 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
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 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask 19 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser 18 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
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 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:
Concerns
This product contains 3 ingredients 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 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask 19 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser 18 ingredients
Salicylic Acid 0.5% • Water • Glycerin • Kaolin • Bentonite • Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate • Trideceth-9 • Peg-5 Ethylhexanoate • Xanthan Gum • Glycolic Acid • Citric Acid • Menthyl Lactate • Panthenol • Sodium Hydroxide • Parfum • Sodium Citrate • Disodium EDTA • Titanium Dioxide • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Salicylic Acid • Water • Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate • Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer • Glycerin • Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate • Sodium Laureth Sulfate • Arginine • Butylene Glycol • Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate • Panthenol • Disodium EDTA • Citric Acid • Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Sodium Citrate • Phenoxyethanol • Caprylyl Glycol • Chlorphenesin
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.
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 Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask contains this as ingredient number 2.
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.
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 GlycerinNeutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask contains this as ingredient number 3.
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.
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 AcidNeutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask contains this as ingredient number 11.
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.
Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.
lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.
Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
Learn more about PanthenolNeutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask contains this as ingredient number 13.
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.
Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Sodium Citrate helps maintain the pH of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Sodium Citrate is a chelating agent. It neutralizes metal ions from water and prevents them from binding to other ingredients. This ensures the other ingredients will not be altered.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateNeutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask contains this as ingredient number 16.
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTANeutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask contains this as ingredient number 17.
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 12.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask 19 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser 18 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask 19 ingredients
Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser 18 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Clay Cleanser + Mask 19 ingredients
Alternatives
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