Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid versus Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish .

Last updated on January 30, 2024. Published on September 16, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe exfoliators. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

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 American Brand United States
Exfoliator American Brand United States

Exfoliator

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

Exfoliator

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

Price

Shop

Buy Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid

Starts at $14.99
Shop

Buy Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish

Starts at $10.79

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

AHA (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Skin Texture (3)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (3)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Irritating (4)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

AHA (2)
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Loading ingredients...

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

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 1.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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 Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 4.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
What it does: Absorbent
Community Rating: Loved

Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls. It is used as an emulsifier, absorbent, and texture enhancer.

This ingredient has many functions:

Fun fact: Cellulose is the most abundant form of organic polymer on Earth.

Learn more about Cellulose

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 7.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Loved

Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with research to back up its benefits. Its main role is to peel the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Glycolic Acid has shown to boost collage production, a protein that helps skin stay firm. Overall, Glycolic Acid helps with improving uneven tone, rough patches of skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. It also increases skin hydration by playing a role in creating molecules that create hyaluronic acid naturally.

When applying Glycolic Acid, it is normal to feel slight stinging. The pH value and concentration of glycolic acid play a role in the effectiveness of the product.

Recent studies have shown Glycolic Acid may protect the skin against UV damage. However, you should always wear SPF, especially when using exfoliants.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Glycolic Acid

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 11.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
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 Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 12.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 14.

6
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

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 14.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 10.

7
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

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 EDTA

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 15.

Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 17.

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

41% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
41% are disliked or very disliked
12% have no rating yet
41% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
41% 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.

When to use

Loading routine usage...
Loading routine usage...

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid 17 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
ellalovesotters's avatar

ellalovesotters

1 year ago · Dry Skin
Review

good and hydrating exfoliator
i just recently picked up this product and have been using it for about a week. right off the bat it feels very...

good and hydrating exfoliator
i just recently picked up this product and have been using it for about a week. right off the bat it feels very hydrating and cleansing on my skin, even right after washing my face my skin feels very hydrated. it exfoliates very well while not being too harsh on the skin. i highly recommend this product, it's both super hydrating and affordable

Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish 17 ingredients

Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid.

See 50 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish.

See 50 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...