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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel versus Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment .

Published on June 24, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain benzoyl peroxide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne

Free From

They both do not contain any oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Facial Treatment American Brand United States
Facial Treatment American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

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

Shop

Buy Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel

Starts at $10.49
Shop

Buy On-the-Spot Acne Treatment

Starts at $8.27

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

Benzoyl Peroxide

Benefits

Acne Fighting

Concerns

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

Notable Ingredients

Benzoyl Peroxide

Benefits

Acne Fighting

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
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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:
Community Rating: Disliked

Benzoyl Peroxide is famous for fighting acne. This is because it does a variety of tasks on the skin: it helps reduce excess oil, kill bacteria, and clear out dead skin cells. In other words, it is effective at unclogging pores.

These properties make it great at fighting different types of acne, including cystic and inflammatory types of acne.

When targeting the bacteria in your pores, Benzoyl Peroxide has been shown to kill the bacteria without causing sensitivity. It also helps keep your skin's natural bacteria and biome balanced. Having a healthy biome protects your skin from external harmful factors.

Once Benzoyl Peroxide is absorbed into the skin, our bodies turn it into benzoic acid and quickly exits in urine.

When using Benzoyl Peroxide, it may be irritating for some people due to a variety of reasons, such as a broken skin barrier or just an allergic reaction. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.

Learn more about Benzoyl Peroxide

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment 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 Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 2.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 3.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising

This ingredient is a semi-synthetic polymer created from cellulose. In case you need a refresher, cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls.

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose has many uses:

  • emulsifier
  • create a gel-like texture
  • boost foam

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 4.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 9.

5
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 Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 6.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 7.

6
What it does: Emulsifying, Masking

Laureth-4 is created by reacting ethylene oxide with Lauryl Alcohol. It is a surfactant and emulsifier.

Surfactants reduce the surface tension of ingredients so they can mix better. Emulsifiers prevent ingredients such as oil and water from separating.

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 7.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 8.

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 Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 9.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment contains this as ingredient number 5.

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

11% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
56% are disliked or very disliked
22% have no rating yet
11% are loved or liked
22% have mixed ratings
44% are disliked or very disliked
22% 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 Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel 9 ingredients

Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment 9 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 review
gofofnglv's Avatar'
Mar 11, 2024

BP spot treatment that isn’t too drying. Works well.

BP spot treatment that isn’t too drying. Works well.

Great Value
Light
Works Well

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