Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel versus Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator .

Published on July 23, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 3 ingredients in common

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

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.

Facial Treatment American Brand United States
Face Cleanser 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.

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 Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel

Starts at $10.49
Shop

Buy Skin Smoothing Exfoliator

Starts at $33.99

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

AHA
BHA
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (4)
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

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 Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel contains this as ingredient number 2.

Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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.

Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 18.

3
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.

Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator contains this as ingredient number 21.

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
29% are loved or liked
14% 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

Loading routine usage...
Loading routine usage...

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 37 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel.

See 37 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 27 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator.

See 27 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...