Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser Versus Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser versus Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men .

Published on January 02, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both face cleansers. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, oils or silicones

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and sulfates

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

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Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men

Face Cleanser American Brand United States

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

Price

Shop

Buy Fresh Foaming Cleanser

Starts at $11.99

Shop

Buy Invigorating Face Wash For Men

Starts at $12.30

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser 15 ingredients

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men 19 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

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser 15 ingredients

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men 19 ingredients

Benefits

Hydrating

Brightening

Concerns

Irritating

Rosacea

Eczema (3)

Benefits

Hydrating

Reduces Irritation

Brightening

Concerns

Drying

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)

Irritating (3)

Rosacea (2)

Eczema (3)

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Ingredients Compared

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

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser 15 ingredients

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men 19 ingredients

Water • Glycerin • Lauryl Glucoside • Decyl Glucoside • Cocamidopropyl Betaine • Glycereth-7 • Ammonium Laureth Sulfate • Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate • Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate • Glycol Stearate • Cocamide Mea • Parfum • DMDM Hydantoin • Tetrasodium EDTA • Citric Acid

Water • Glycerin • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate • Coco-Glucoside • Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate • Panthenol • Polyquaternium-7 • Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate • Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer • Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate • Menthol • Disodium EDTA • Polysorbate 80 • Citric Acid • Methylparaben • DMDM Hydantoin • Blue 1 Lake • Basic Violet 2 • Parfum

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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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.

Water

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 Fresh Foaming Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men contains this as ingredient number 1.

Glycerin

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

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men contains this as ingredient number 2.

Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

What it does: Emulsifying

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate is used to improve texture and stability of a product. It is sugar based and helps thicken a product.

Once applied, it also creates a thin film to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.

This ingredient is the polyethylene glycol ether of the diester of oleic acid and methylglucose. The 120 represents an average of 120 moles of ethylene oxide.

There is limited research on this ingredient, although it is considered safe to use in skincare products.

Learn more about Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men contains this as ingredient number 8.

Parfum

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 Fresh Foaming Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 12.

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men contains this as ingredient number 19.

DMDM Hydantoin

What it does: Preservative

Community Rating: Very Disliked

DMDM Hydantoin has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. It is a preservative that works by slowly releasing formaldehyde over time.

So what's formaldehyde?

DMDM Hydantoin is approved for use in cosmetics all around the world. In the EU, this ingredient is allowed in personal products up to 0.6 percent.

You might have heard of the class-action lawsuit about it causing hair loss. According to chemists, there has not been a link found between this ingredient and hair loss.

The Hydantoin part of this ingredient is created by reacting glycolic acid and urea.

You can check out alternatives to Dmdm Hydantoin: phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate.

Learn more about DMDM Hydantoin

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men contains this as ingredient number 16.

Citric Acid

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

Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.

Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash For Men contains this as ingredient number 14.

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