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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Purified Skin Gel Cleanser versus Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser .

Published on October 20, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA

Suited For

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

Free From

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

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.

Face Cleanser American Brand United States
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

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 Purified Skin Gel Cleanser

Shop

Buy Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser

Starts at $17.98

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

Benefits

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

Concerns

Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)
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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.

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 Purified Skin Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Cleansing, Foaming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a cleansing agent made from a mixture of long chain sulfonate salts. It can also help produce foam.

This ingredient may be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Neutrogena Purified Skin Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.

3
What it does: Masking, Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

Sodium Benzoate is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

Learn more about Sodium Benzoate

Neutrogena Purified Skin Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.

Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 19.

We don't have a description for Potassium Acrylates Copolymer.

Neutrogena Purified Skin Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 7.

Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.

5
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 Purified Skin Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.

Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.

6
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 Purified Skin Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 10.

Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 20.

7
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 Purified Skin Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.

Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.

8
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 Purified Skin Gel Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.

Neutrogena Clear & Soothe Mousse Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 16.

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

20% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
53% are disliked or very disliked
20% have no rating yet
14% are loved or liked
10% have mixed ratings
48% are disliked or very disliked
29% 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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