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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner versus Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent .

Published on August 13, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe . 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, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, oils, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols 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.

Toner American Brand United States
Face Cleanser American Brand United States

Toner

Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.

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 Triple-Action Toner

Starts at $8.99
Shop

Buy Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent

Starts at $6.19

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

BHA

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (5)

Notable Ingredients

BHA

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Drying (4)
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (5)
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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 Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 1.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent 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 Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 2.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol and other additives. It has a low molecular weight and will evaporate quickly. This helps other ingredients become better absorbed and dry once applied.

Alcohol Denat. is volatile and may cause irritation. It helps draw out natural oils in skin and dry out your skin.

One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased irritation.

Alcohol is antibacterial by nature. This can help preserve products and increase their shelf life.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

Learn more about Alcohol Denat.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 3.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 4.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent contains this as ingredient number 5.

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 Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 7.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent contains this as ingredient number 9.

6
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.

This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.

Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 16.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent contains this as ingredient number 10.

7
What it does: Cosmetic Colorant
Community Rating: Very Disliked

We don't have a description for Blue 1 Lake.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner contains this as ingredient number 19.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent contains this as ingredient number 14.

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

24% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
29% are disliked or very disliked
33% have no rating yet
36% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
50% are disliked or very disliked
7% 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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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 34 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 8 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent.

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