Versus

Pond's Dry Skin Cream Versus Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin

General Moisturizer
General Moisturizer
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on July 26, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both general moisturizers. They have a total of 7 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 or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain oils and parabens

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Concerns

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Emollient

Petrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.

This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.

Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.

The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.

Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.

Petrolatum may not be safe for fungal-acne. Studies show mineral oil / petroleum leads to the growth of M. Furfur, a type of yeast.

Learn more about Petrolatum
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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
Emollient, Emulsifying

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.

As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.

In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.

This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

Learn more about Cetyl Alcohol
Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

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

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Preservative

Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.

Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.

Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.

The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.

Learn more about Methylparaben

When to use

245 Routines
43% use in am
57% use in pm
99% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
70 Routines
51% use in am
49% use in pm
97% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Pond's Dry Skin Cream 19 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 3 ratings
Doesn't Work (1) Great Value (1) Heavy (1)
angel13's avatar

Angel

9 months ago
Review

Ponds is a sort of product you get when your in 6th grade, you have acne and you don’t know anything, and you just grab the first thing you see off Walmart or a Drug Store without doing any research about skincare… and it does nothing at all.

#doesn't work
xoespresso's avatar

xoespresso

22 days ago
Review

Been using this for a decade now and it’s the only moisturizer that doesn’t leave me feeling dry afterwards. When I use this at night, I wake up with my face as soft as a baby. The mineral oil here is a great occlusive for dry skin types like myself. I’m still looking for a good cream with additional benefits like ceramides and peptides, but in the meantime I like having this as my last step in my Show more

#great value
#hydrating
#heavy
#works well

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin 20 ingredients

2.0 /5
from 3 ratings
Doesn't Work (1) Irritating (1)
Marquaad_420's avatar

Marquaad_420

5 months ago
Review

NOT for sensitive skin. This stuff burns. Just look at the ingredient list, it's horrific.

#irritating
ellalovesotters's avatar

ellalovesotters

2 years ago
Review

too lightweight and not enough moisture
this was my main moisturizer for a while and i'd use it every morning after cleansing. it's very lightweight so it didn't provide my skin with enough moisture. it didn't last too long either, after about 2 hours after applying my skin started to feel a bit dry again. i think there a definitely better alternatives, if you're still looking for something by Show more