I’ll be honest with you – I’m pretty happy with my face wash. What I’m not totally happy with is YOURS. I’m speaking generally, of course, but be straight with me: Do you use Cetaphil? I’m not one to single out products and brands, but if there was ever a product that needed cleaning up, Cetaphil is it. It’s essentially water and chemicals. Lots of ’em. Sure, it may feel gentle on your skin but it’s the last thing you want to be cleaning your face with. My girl Bets summed it up perfectly…Cetaphil is the devil. Yet, I hear from friends, coworkers and family constantly that it’s their go-to. I asked a girlfriend to break down the reasons she buys this it and it came down to price and accessibility (and the perpetuated myth that it is GOOD for you).
To help you navigate the drugstore skin care aisle a little better, I decided to take the Neutrogena Ultra-Gentle Cleanser Challenge. I marched on over to CVS after work one day and handed over my $9 for a bottle, which BTW is massive! I appreciate the short(er) ingredient list, of which only one really bothers me (but as it turns out, not my skin). That ingredient is a “fragrance” (always so vague) which Neutrogena promises won’t irritate even the most sensitive of skin.
After seven days of ignoring my Chia Whip in favor of the Ultra Gentle, I was unscathed and overall pleased with its performance. No breakouts, redness or otherwise hiccups. Skin felt balanced and never dry or tight. It is also excellent with the Clarisonic — so foamy and gets every trace of gunk outta pores. While I’m not quite ready to trade in my truly natural formulas, Neutrogena did us all a solid with the Ultra Gentle.
The challenge is still on (see here) if you are so inclined to switch things up. And, if you are using a face wash that starts with a ‘C’ and ends with a ‘phil’…you know what to do.
Oooo I haven’t seen this cleanser before! Right now I’m finishing up a bottle of Philosophy Purity, but I might check this out next when it completely runs out. I’ve tried cleansers and scrubs from Neutrogena’s Natural line, and I loved them!
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Kelly, I used Purity for years! I agree with you on the NN line – I tried it when it first came out and thought the Cleanser was good. This is similar, I think.
ooh I might have to give this a try. I currently switch off between st. ives apricot scrub and clinique liquid facial soap, depending on how my face is feeling that day. but i do like neutrogena products so i may give this a whirl.
xo.
Lauren, it’s solid! And seriously massive — the bottle is 12 oz! Let me know if you try and if you like.
Oh my gosh! I totally just started using Cetaphil again because I wanted a simple cleanser…so glad you posted this!
LAUREN! Intervention time! But honestly, everyone uses this stuff. Men, too. Spread the word.
I know, I know….you’ve got me interested in the Chia Whip now 🙂
I used Cetaphil years ago and found it just meh. When my skin was acting up a couple years ago, I went back to it and after 1 cleansing, I tossed the entire bar of soap out. It dried my skin out something fierce! I’m pretty happy with Purpose (hope it’s not secretly awful!) but I’m intrigued by this Neutrogena. 🙂
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I switch up my cleansers a lot, and always like to have something inexpensive that I can rely on. I think the Neutrogena is great!
I was totes going to get some of this tonight whilst grocery shopping but my store didn’t carry it. Gonna have to trek over to my old reliable CVS! Thanks for talking about it – I sounds pretty great and the fact that I can pick it up at a local drugstore is a definite bonus! Cheers to you, skin care guru! 🙂
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I guess I’m lucky that I’ve never used Cetaphil, nor was it ever on my radar! I read that article you referenced and it got me thinking about which face wipes I should use! Any you recommend?
Jess
Jess — glad to hear it! I’m loving the Yes to Grapefruit Wipes (so refreshing!) and also the Alba Hawaiian ones. Both are fantastic and gentle!