A lightweight gel that hydrates without heaviness makes it a strong match for oily and combination skin dealing with dryness at the same time. The cleanser foams easily, removes makeup and sunscreen well, and sits gentle enough for the eye area, earning praise as a second cleanse step. One thing to know: the fragrance may not suit everyone, and the bottle size is smaller than some prefer, though it works as a travel cleanser if that fits your needs.
Synthesized from 6 expert reviews · most recent take June 2026
"If you have oilier skin types, you might want to go with a gel cleanser like Neutrogena's Hydroboost gel cleanser."
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"The Neutrogena Hydro Boost cleansing gel I use in the summer a lot. I do like a gel cleanser when I have oilier skin in the summer."
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"The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cleanser is really nice for those with oily skin. That gel cleanser just really nice at picking up excess oil and washing it away."
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"The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cleanser is a nice one you can consider if you have that little bit of oily skin because a gel cleanser or a foaming cleanser are both nice formulations for you to cleanse with if you have combination to oily skin."
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"If you have oilier skin types, you might want to go with a gel cleanser like Neutrogena's Hydroboost gel cleanser."
"The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel is probably one of those if you want more of a gel texture or if you have more combination skin, I think it's a good option or even if you're oily. It feels really lightweight, but it's still going to hydrate, which is going to make it really nice if you're oily or combination but still dealing with dehydration. It's really easy to apply. It's really lightweight cleansing gel, foams really nice, easy to spread. It does a good job at removing your makeup and your sunscreen, also hydrating at the same time. The key ingredient here is the hyaluronic acid for that lightweight hydration."
"Neutrogena their Hydro Boost gel facial cleanser is really really nice gentle gel cleanser that cleanses your skin but has nice formulation that also boosts your skin hydration that usually is stripped with cleansing. I love the fact that this is fragrance-free so suitable even for those with more sensitive skin. It's lightweight, it cleanses, it has this nice gentle lather and rinses off really nicely without leaving much residue behind."
"Their products are kind of hit or miss for me, but I like the fragrance free products from Neutrogena's Hydro Boost line. Right off the bat it's nine dollars, such a good price point. It has really gentle cleansing agents, not the harsh stripping ingredients you sometimes get in affordable cleansers that dry out your skin, and this formula is fragrance free as well. I personally used it and enjoyed the experience. For my super oily skin it wasn't quite enough to cleanse my skin, but going in after an aloe vera mask like this, it's a gentle, good choice."
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"I prefer the fragrance free option and I don't love the size, but if you're looking for an easy travel cleanser, it's a fine one to use. I'd say this is like an okay recommendation."
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"Their products are kind of hit or miss for me, but I like the fragrance free products from Neutrogena's Hydro Boost line. Right off the bat it's nine dollars, such a good price point. It has really gentle cleansing agents, not the harsh stripping ingredients you sometimes get in affordable cleansers that dry out your skin, and this formula is fragrance free as well. I personally used it and enjoyed the experience. For my super oily skin it wasn't quite enough to cleanse my skin, but going in after an aloe vera mask like this, it's a gentle, good choice."
"It's a holy grail favorite cleanser of mine. I love using it as a second step in my double cleanse. I like the fragrance-free one, but the base formula is great. It's a great gentle hydrating cleanser that effectively washes the face. It's great as a second step in the double cleanse. I just don't like the fragrance choice that Neutrogena goes with. This is one I would keep in the shower and use as a second step in the double cleanse."
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"One of my favorite cleansers from Neutrogena is the Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid, fragrance-free. This cleanser is really gentle. It works up into a silky lather, gently and thoroughly cleanses the skin without leaving it feeling stripped or dry. It includes hyaluronic acid, which is a water-loving ingredient that helps improve moisture retention in the top outermost layers of the skin barrier. Neutrogena has utilized hydrophobically modified polymers which bind dirt and oil to water to clean the skin while preserving the moisture barrier. This product also uses a natural surfactant that provides the foam that consumers love without disrupting the skin barrier, so there's no dry or tight feeling with this cleanser. This innovative formula effectively cleanses while also respecting the skin's moisture barrier. This cleanser works really well for any skin type, oily, dry, combination, and because it's so gentle, it's especially good if you have very sensitive skin."
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"It's a holy grail favorite cleanser of mine. I love using it as a second step in my double cleanse. I like the fragrance-free one, but the base formula is great. It's a great gentle hydrating cleanser that effectively washes the face. It's great as a second step in the double cleanse. I just don't like the fragrance choice that Neutrogena goes with. This is one I would keep in the shower and use as a second step in the double cleanse."
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"I finish one of these pretty much at least one or two a year. The fragrance-free is like one of my favorite facial cleansers. It's just really basic, no nonsense. It's nice to use and it does the job. It leaves the skin moisturized but clean, which is something I really look for. I don't want a squeaky clean face because that is a moisture stripped face."
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"As a second step for a double cleanse it's not overly drying. I use it comfortably around my eyelid. It has a gel texture but it works up into a silky slight foamy lather and rinses off the skin really well, leaving it cleansed but also hydrated at the same time. It cuts down on that stripped tight dry feeling. It's a really nice formula. I seriously hope they never change this."
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"This is one of my favorite cleansers from Neutrogena. It's really gentle, great around the eyes. I love using it as a second step in my double cleanse."
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"I love the fragrance-free version of this. These look like they have you guys ever seen these in the stores? Now pink grapefruit? Yes, I have seen but not this fresh and clear packaging. That's definitely like a newer thing."
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"A frequent repurchase for me is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser. It's fragrance-free, has hyaluronic acid, and it's a very gentle, hydrating, mild cleanser that removes dirt, oil, and impurities without stripping skin's moisture barrier. It's a really pleasant experience to use. I enjoy a good gel cleanser, and this is a cleanser that I really put to the test."
"It's the Neutrogena Hydro Boost hydrating gel cleanser, I use this daily. What they have going right now is two of the 7.8 ounce bottles plus a 16 ounce refill pouch for 21.99, which is basically like four bottles worth of cleanser. That right there is a steal, because if you went to Target and bought all the components in this set you'd be paying 35.67 as opposed to 21.99 at the club."
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"The Hydro Boost Gel Cleanser, it's been one I've been loving for a while now."
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"I'm using the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid, it's fragrance-free, and it's a favorite of mine."
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"I also have the Hydro Boost hydrating gel cleanser, this is really one of my favorite cleansers."
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"This is another cleanser that I use frequently, the Hydro Boost with hyaluronic acid hydrating gel cleanser. I like this one as well."
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"Check out the Hydro Boost hyaluronic acid hydrating gel cleanser refill, you can also get it in a giant bottle. This is the scented one, this is the refill for the scented one, but they also have a refill for the fragrance free one, and now you can get it in this jumbo bottle. I really like this."
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"The Hydro Boost hydrating cleansing gel is four dollars and it works pretty well. This one has fragrance in it, and the fragrance is very strong and off-putting."
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"This hyaluronic acid gel cleanser, fragrance free, is one of my favorite cleansers these days."
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"I really like this hydrating gel cleanser."
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"I finished the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid. I love it. I rather enjoy the experience of using a cleansing gel and this is a favorite, free of fragrance, which is good because the Hydro Boost products that do have fragrance are too intense for me, I cannot handle it."
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"I finished up my Hydro Boost Cleansing Gel. I really have been liking that."
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"I also really like this Hydro Boost with hyaluronic acid hydrating cleansing gel, I personally am using this currently."
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"I'm still going strong with this Hydro Boost hydrating cleansing gel, I'm on my second bottle. I also use it as a hand wash. It's pretty light and silky."
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"I finished the Neutrogena Hydro Boost with Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Cleansing Gel, fragrance free. I really love this, I'm currently using another bottle of it, and I also like using it as a hand wash. It has a nice silky lather, doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped, dry, or irritated, and does a decent job removing makeup and sunscreen residue, though I do always double cleanse. With a little more rubbing you can get the film of cosmetic residue off with little to no irritation."
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"I'm working my way through the Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel, I use this both for my face and as a hand wash, works really well. You don't necessarily need to use dedicated hand soap to wash your hands, you can use a facial cleanser, it's often a lot gentler."
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"You can use facial cleansers to wash your hands, they're often a lot gentler than dedicated hand soaps. I've been using a little bit of this Neutrogena Hydro Boost hydrating cleansing gel as a hand wash and it works really well."
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"I rather enjoyed this and highly recommend it if you're looking for a gentle cleanser. There's a modest amount of foam and it has a nice gel-like consistency and does a good job removing dirt and impurities. My face felt clean after using this and I recall this was able to remove my mascara by itself. If you're looking for a good basic gel cleanser, this one's great. I love gel cleansers for the sensory experience."
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"Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with hyaluronic acid is a basic gentle gel type consistency cleanser that works up into a soft lather. By soft lather I mean we're not talking like buckets of foam, but there is a little bit of substance to the lather and it does a good job removing dirt, oil, impurities, water-resistant sunscreen, without drying out the skin. It doesn't burn around the eyes, you can use it in washing off your eye makeup. I think if you're frustrated by products that don't really foam or generate much lather you will like this. It's free of fragrance, very gentle, but builds something of substance which I appreciate. I've been using this off and on this year and recently I've started using it as the second step in my double cleanse."
What the evidence says.
Independent of what the gurus think, this is what
the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.
Humectants and emollients
Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.
What is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid?
A lightweight gel cleanser designed to remove makeup and sunscreen while hydrating the skin, formulated with hyaluronic acid.
Is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid worth it?
Yes. All 6 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 78%.
What is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid's Guru Score?
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid holds a Guru Score of 78%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 expert reviewers we have collected.
Who is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid best for?
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid is generally suited to dry skin and sensitive skin.
Cheaper alternatives the gurus rate.
Lower-priced products in the same category that the experts still rate highly.