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Neutrogena

Oil-Free Acne Wash.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
Cleansers

About this product

An oil-free facial cleanser from Neutrogena formulated with salicylic acid to target and help clear acne on oily, breakout-prone skin.

Best for

Oily skinAcne-prone skin
Cleansers

The Guru Index verdict

62%

Mixed

~Mixed · 62%
6Reviewers
2Approved
3Mixed
1Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus recognize this as a classic budget option with effective salicylic acid, but consensus leans toward dated. The recurring complaint is fragrance and menthol, which dermatologists flag as unnecessary irritants that undermine its use on already-inflamed acne skin. While some praise its simplicity and efficacy for mild acne, reviewers note it falls short for severe or cystic breakouts and question recent price increases for a product with no meaningful reformulation.
Synthesized from 6 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Salicylic acid (BHA)Alcohol-free

Full ingredients

Salicylic Acid (2%), Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Benzalkonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Yellow 5, Red 40

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
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"I just assumed that this would be a good product for oily acne-prone skin, but again it had fragrance in it, had menthol in it, had glycolic acid in it. So menthol is a sensitizer to the skin, fragrance is your number one cause of contact dermatitis and it's a co-sensitizer. This is a thing that there are 4,000 different fragrances and you don't know how your skin is going to react and you get delayed reaction. What's going to happen after years? I mean, menthol is just it just should not be in skin care either. Especially, imagine your acne oily-prone skin which is already inflamed, it's got free fatty acids that are going berserk in your skin, irritating your skin, leading to pigmentation and red marks and then you go and put menthol on it which is a sensitizer. It's just not a good idea."
All 2 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan
Best & Worst Cleansers For Oily Acne Prone Skin
"I just assumed that this would be a good product for oily acne-prone skin, but again it had fragrance in it, had menthol in it, had glycolic acid in it. So menthol is a sensitizer to the skin, fragrance is your number one cause of contact dermatitis and it's a co-sensitizer. This is a thing that there are 4,000 different fragrances and you don't know how your skin is going to react and you get delayed reaction. What's going to happen after years? I mean, menthol is just it just should not be in skin care either. Especially, imagine your acne oily-prone skin which is already inflamed, it's got free fatty acids that are going berserk in your skin, irritating your skin, leading to pigmentation and red marks and then you go and put menthol on it which is a sensitizer. It's just not a good idea."
BEST & WORST Acne Solutions: DOCTOR V Reveals
"Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash contains denat alcohol, which is a marketing trick. The reason they put it into an acne product is because it evaporates quickly and so you get that quick dry feeling. The problem is it tends to trigger more acne because there's a negative feedback loop. When there's less sebum on the skin it actually tells your glands to produce more sebum. It also contains fragrance, which leads to contact dermatitis, and when you already have inflamed skin from acne the last thing you want to do is put on an irritant."
Approved
"Neutrogena has their oil-free acne wash. That's a classic."
~Mixed
"It has 2% salicylic acid and fragrance but it's honestly super basic so I still don't know why they raised the price. I do think it kind of worked, it was salicylic acid it was fine, but when my acne was at its worst it was severe it was chronic it was cystic and it took over my face chest and back and the Neutrogena cleanser just didn't cut it. I remember it being like $5... it's no longer $5."
Approved
"Neutrogena with the 2% salicylic acid is a great one. Any salicylic acid cleanser that's the most affordable that will allow you to get more bang for your buck is what I recommend. You can certainly use salicylic acid cleanser alternating with your benzoyl peroxide if you're able to do that or in place of your benzoyl peroxide."
~Mixed
"The hero product here was Neutrogena for like ever, with that orange pump top bottle. It still is pretty effective, but it's fragranced and I think that we've made a lot of advances in skincare since then, so it's probably not the best product out there. I actually don't like the smell of the Neutrogena one even though it's the one that I use growing up. It just maybe reminds me of childhood and kind of like that Proactiv smell bothers me."
~Mixed
"Neutrogena also has your salicylic acid cleanser."
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