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.