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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash versus Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser .

Published on October 15, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe 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, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

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

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.

Face Cleanser American Brand United States
Face Cleanser Japanese Brand Japan

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

Shop

Buy Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash

Starts at $8.99
Shop

Buy Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser

Starts at $8.79

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
BHA

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (4)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)
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Ingredients Compared

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

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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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.

1
What it does: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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 Acid

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash contains this as ingredient number 1.

Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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 Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash contains this as ingredient number 2.

Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
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 Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash contains this as ingredient number 6.

Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.

4
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 Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash contains this as ingredient number 12.

Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.

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 Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash contains this as ingredient number 13.

Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.

6
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 Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash contains this as ingredient number 16.

Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.

7
What it does: Masking, Refreshing
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Menthol is a compound found in mint plants, such as peppermint. In its pure form, it is a clear crystalline substance.

Menthol is known for its cooling sensation; however, the cooling is actually from your skin being sensitized. Menthol can worsen rosacea. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Menthol also has antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Menthol

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash contains this as ingredient number 17.

Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 12.

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

32% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
36% are disliked or very disliked
24% have no rating yet
25% are loved or liked
19% have mixed ratings
44% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash 25 ingredients

Oil Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Biore Charcoal Acne Daily Cleanser 16 ingredients

1.0 /5
from 2 reviews
tabby_274's Avatar'
Apr 26, 2023

broke out
this was one of the first cleansers i ever used when i was first getting into skincare. it has a cooling effect which felt good. unfortunately it actually gave me whiteheads all around my mouth and other areas. bad for...

broke out
this was one of the first cleansers i ever used when i was first getting into skincare. it has a cooling effect which felt good. unfortunately it actually gave me whiteheads all around my mouth and other areas. bad for sensitive skin.

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