Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser versus Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish .
Published on March 15, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe exfoliators. They have a total of 14 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain AHA and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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.
Exfoliator
Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.
Exfoliator
Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.
Price
Ingredient Info
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish 17 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish 17 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish 17 ingredients
Water • Cetyl Alcohol • Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether • Glycerin • Cellulose • Polysorbate 60 • Steareth-21 • Potassium Cetyl Phosphate • Glycolic Acid • Salicylic Acid • Parfum • Microcrystalline Wax • Xanthan Gum • Sodium Hydroxide • Disodium EDTA • Tocopheryl Acetate • Talc • Citric Acid • Ultramarines • Hc Red No. 3
Water • Cetyl Alcohol • Cellulose • Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether • Glycerin • Mandelic Acid • Glycolic Acid • Polysorbate 60 • Steareth-21 • Sodium Hydroxide • Potassium Cetyl Phosphate • Phenoxyethanol • Caprylyl Glycol • Parfum • Xanthan Gum • Tocopheryl Acetate • Disodium EDTA
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 1.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Cetyl Alcohol is not related to SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Its main roles are:
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 2.
We don't have a description for Ppg-15 Stearyl Ether.
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 3.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 4.
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 GlycerinNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 4.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 5.
Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls. It is used as an emulsifier, absorbent, and texture enhancer.
This ingredient has many functions:
Fun fact: Cellulose is the most abundant form of organic polymer on Earth.
Learn more about CelluloseNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 5.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 3.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 6.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 8.
We don't have a description for Steareth-21.
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 7.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 9.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.
Learn more about Potassium Cetyl PhosphateNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 8.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 11.
Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with research to back up its benefits. Its main role is to peel the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Glycolic Acid has shown to boost collage production, a protein that helps skin stay firm. Overall, Glycolic Acid helps with improving uneven tone, rough patches of skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage. It also increases skin hydration by playing a role in creating molecules that create hyaluronic acid naturally.
When applying Glycolic Acid, it is normal to feel slight stinging. The pH value and concentration of glycolic acid play a role in the effectiveness of the product.
Recent studies have shown Glycolic Acid may protect the skin against UV damage. However, you should always wear SPF, especially when using exfoliants.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 7.
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 ParfumNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 11.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 14.
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 13.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 15.
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 HydroxideNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 14.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 10.
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 EDTANeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 15.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 17.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateNeutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 16.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish contains this as ingredient number 16.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish 17 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Preparation Cleanser 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Bright Boost Resurfacing Micro Polish 17 ingredients
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