Additionally, many have noted that Clean and Clear causes morning burst that is definitely bad for the skin. Not only this leaves your skin vulnerable to infections, but this foaming face also kills the healthy and protective skin which acts as a barrier against various germs. DMDH Hydantoin– Group 1 Carcinogen and yet you will tell me on my face that below 0.074% or less concentration of DMDH is safe. (Don’t be naive!) My opinion? It’s somewhere in the middle. I usually don’t recommend alcohol because even when it doesn’t harm the skin, it’s not particularly beneficial either. Both the Clean & Clear Essentials Dual Action Moisturizer and the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer offer exactly what we're looking for in good acne moisturizers: 0.5% Salicylic Acid, a non-comedogenic formula, a lightweight texture, and no oils named in the ingredients lists.

However, it’s important to note that while the spot treatment does a great job at reducing redness and inflammation, it’s not a standalone solution. The instructions recommend pairing it with a facial moisturizer, and I found this to be crucial. The treatment can be a bit drying, especially if you have sensitive or dry skin, so using a moisturizer is necessary to maintain the skin’s balance. The main biologically active componentsin Witch Hazel are hamamelitannin (a potent astringent and antioxidant), catechins (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant) and gallic acid (antibacterial). The bark extract contains by far the most hamamelitanninand it has the most gallic acid and catechins. The twigs contain fewer catechins, less gallic acid, and much less hamamelitannin(4.77% vs 0.18%). The leaves contain hardly any tannins (0.04%) or catechins and contain amedium amount of gallic acid (compared to the bark and twigs).

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Hi, I'm Gio! I’m a tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and author on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever - every day. Otherwise, keep scrolling to learn more, starting with the fact that Johnson & Johnson have much to do with these misdeeds. While the Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Acne Wash Scrub seems better on paper, in practice we actually prefer Clean and Clear's Deep Action Exfoliating Facial Scrub. It's important to realize that a combination of physical and chemical exfoliation can be overkill (such as in the case of Neutrogena's scrub), *especially* if you're planning to use it in conjunction with other products such as cleansers, treatments, and moisturizers formulated for acne.

But, if you have sensitive skin, putting alcohol on your pimples could sting them real bad. That’s where it pays off to know what your skin can take. If the ingredients list stopped there we'd be waxing lyrical about it, but as mentioned in the overview, it unfortunately contains more than a few causes for concern: parabens, PEGs, fragrance, and synthetic dyes.We even found a German study that compared the efficacy of Hamamelis ointment to panthenol ointment for soothing the skin in children (from 27 days to 11 years old). They observed 309 children and concluded that both ointmentswere similarly effective but the one with Hamamelis was even better tolerated(98.2% vs. 92.3% tolerated well the ointments in the two groups). Certain products may be accidentally vegan, however, none of the products are certified vegan or cruelty-free. The fragrance is difficult to define as brands do not have to list what the fragrance is or what ingredients it is made from. It took 3 more days before the pimple disappeared. During this time, I applied the gel 2/3 times a day (not more because I was scared it’d irritate my skin – it may be resistant but that’s not a good reason to play with fire). In fact, they actually share 20 out of 22 ingredients, with the only ingredients they don't share having negligible effects on their formulas (unless you want to argue that a tiny amount of Grapefruit Extract—listed at the end of the ingredients list of Neutrogena's—makes a difference). In other words, for all intents and purposes they are the exact same products just in different bottles and with different branding.