Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub versus Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel .
Published on June 22, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 9 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, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any oils, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain common allergens and 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.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Price
Ingredient Info
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub 27 ingredients
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel 29 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 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
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 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are 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 Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub 27 ingredients
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel 29 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 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 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 6 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 Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub 27 ingredients
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel 29 ingredients
Salicylic Acid 2% • Benzalkonium Chloride • Blue 1 Lake • Butylene Glycol • C12-15 Alkyl Lactate • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Cera Microcristallina • Cetyl Alcohol • Cetyl Lactate • Chromium Hydroxide Green • Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate • Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract • Disodium EDTA • Glycerin • Glycolic Acid • Menthol • Microcrystalline Cellulose • Parfum • Polysorbate 60 • Potassium Cetyl Phosphate • Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether • Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate • Sodium Hydroxide • Steareth-21 • Water • Xanthan Gum • CI 15985
Salicylic Acid 2% • Alcohol • Alcohol Denat. • Ammonia • Benzalkonium Chloride • Butylene Glycol • C12-15 Alkyl Lactate • C13-14 Isoparaffin • Capryloyl Glycine • Cedrus Atlantica Bark Extract • Cetyl Lactate • Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract • Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate • Cyclopentasiloxane • Dehydroxanthan Gum • Glycerin • Hamamelis Virginiana Water • Laureth-7 • Parfum • Phenethyl Dimethicone • Phenoxyethanol • Polyacrylamide • Polysorbate 20 • Portulaca Oleracea Extract • Ppg-2 Isoceteth-20 Acetate • Propylene Glycol • Sarcosine • Tetrasodium EDTA • Water
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 Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 1.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.
Benzalkonium Chloride is a preservative. It can cause irritation and worsen eczema.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 2.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 5.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 4.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 6.
We don't have a description for C12-15 Alkyl Lactate.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 5.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 7.
We don't have a description for Cetyl Lactate.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 9.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 11.
We don't have a description for Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 11.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 13.
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 Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 14.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 16.
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 ParfumNeutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 19.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 19.
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 Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub contains this as ingredient number 26.
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 29.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub 27 ingredients
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel 29 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub 27 ingredients
Neutrogena RAPID CLEAR® Spot Gel 29 ingredients
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