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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser versus Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid .

Last updated on January 30, 2024. Published on August 26, 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 dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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.

Face Cleanser American Brand United States
Exfoliator 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).

Exfoliator

Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.

Price

Shop

Buy Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser

Starts at $9.74
Shop

Buy Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid

Starts at $14.99

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
ph level
5.75
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

Benefits

Hydrating
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger

Notable Ingredients

AHA (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Skin Texture (3)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (3)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Irritating (4)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (2)
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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: 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 Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 1.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Glycerin

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 2.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 4.

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 Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser contains this as ingredient number 9.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 14.

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

30% are loved or liked
20% have mixed ratings
50% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
41% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
41% are disliked or very disliked
12% 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 Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser 10 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Great Value (1) Hydrating (1) No Scent (1) Works Well (1)
MichelleR's avatar

MichelleR

2 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

Unlike the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, this cleanser does not contain alcohol. That makes it the perfect gentle cleanser.

I knew I liked it, but...

Unlike the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, this cleanser does not contain alcohol. That makes it the perfect gentle cleanser.

I knew I liked it, but didn't place the official stamp of approval on it until it passed a very significant test. I got my first Vampire Facial (with an added Clear + Brilliant laser) and at the end of the day I needed to wash off the PRP and sunscreen. This cleanser did NOT sting my face (Three stars) AND got all the debris off my skin (Two stars).

It is officially a mainstay on my shelf!

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid 17 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
ellalovesotters's avatar

ellalovesotters

1 year ago · Dry Skin
Review

good and hydrating exfoliator
i just recently picked up this product and have been using it for about a week. right off the bat it feels very...

good and hydrating exfoliator
i just recently picked up this product and have been using it for about a week. right off the bat it feels very hydrating and cleansing on my skin, even right after washing my face my skin feels very hydrated. it exfoliates very well while not being too harsh on the skin. i highly recommend this product, it's both super hydrating and affordable

Alternatives

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Hydro Boost Daily Gel Cream Exfoliating Cleanser With Hyaluronic Acid.

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