Neutrogena Naturals Cream Cleanser Review

Chances are we’ve all dealt with acne at some point in our live. Chances are also that those who struggle with acne have searched for a product that will blow our minds and keep the acne off of our faces. 

Today, I’m sharing with you a new product from Neutrogena (the naturals line). This product is called the “Acne Cream Cleanser.” There are several new products in this line, however; I am just going to be talking specifically about the Acne Cream Cleanser.

In the past, I have tried Neutrogena face products in my teen years. They didn’t work that well for me then. If you’ve read any of my skincare reviews, you know that most products geared toward acne never quite blow my mind. I didn’t mind this Netrogena cleanser much and it is very affordable (priced at $7.99 at your local Walmart). It might be a little more pricey if you purchase it from a drugstore. 

This product’s main ingredient towards fighting and preventing acne is salicylic acid. The description claims that it powerfully penetrates down into pores to treat breakouts and help prevent new ones from forming.

The formula is quite creamy, and it is 93% naturally derived. The product claims to lather to gently cleanse and remove pore-clogging oil, dirt and impurities. 

One of the most amazing things about this product is that it is NOT tested on animals. Also, it is fortified with an acne-fighting bionutrient for clear, healthy looking skin.  It does not contain any harsh chemicals, sulfates, parabans, and the like. 

One of the things that I did not like about this product was the fact that it was so creamy. It didn’t lather at all. For me, that is a weird thing, for you, you may not mind. Don’t get me wrong, the product cleansed my skin absolutely fine, I just wish that it lathered. It does not have any microbeads in it, so it will not work as an exfoliant either. For that reason, I choose not to use this product after removing my makeup at the end of the day. After removing makeup, I like to wash my face with a scrub that has microbeads in it to ensure that I have successfully removed all makeup. With this particular Neutrogena cleanser, I liked to use it more in the morning. 

The scent is a little citrusy but has an undertone of a medicine-ish smell, if that makes sense. I like to use this product in the morning for two reasons. One, because I am not removing any makeup in the morning (obviously), so I don’t need a cleanser with microbeads. And two, the scent of the product kind of provides for a “wake me up.”

As far as the potential to help treat and prevent acne, I did find that this worked towards keeping my skin clear and preventing any future acne breakouts, but it did not work so fast nor great in clearing up the breakouts that I had already had. I wouldn’t say this product is bad, but I would use it in conjunction with a cream/serum specifically geared towards acne-prone skin for the best prevention method. 

Overall, I like this product. I would consider repurchasing this product when I run out of it because I like products like this as a light cleanser in the morning before I apply makeup and get ready for the day. It didn’t work wonders for me with regards to my acne, although that is not to say that this product wouldn’t work great for someone who just has an occasional breakout. Please keep in mind when reading this review that I have oily/combination skin, which is extremely sensitive and acne-prone.

NEW Clarisonic Acne Clarifying Collection!

Have you heard the latest buzz about the Clarisonic Mia2? If you are already a fan of the Clarisonic, then you may be excited to know that they have a new product hitting the market soon: The Clarisonic Mia2 Sonic Skin Cleansing Acne Clarifying Collection.

To familiarize yourself with what the Clarisonic is, for those who may not know, it is a dermatologist recommended skin cleansing system, which uses patented sonic cleansing technology. It’s an awesome product which deep cleans the skin, deep down into the pores getting rid of any leftover makeup and dirt. You can not only see a difference, but you can feel a difference, too!

The introduction of the Clarisonic Acne Daily Clarifying Cleanser, which is a gentle, salicylic acid-based cleanser, is what makes this collection particularly special — along with the new brush head, which is gentler on sensitive, acne-prone skin. This cleanser has 2% salicylic acid, and it actually is a really nice shade of blue!

Plus, you get a great carrying case for your Mia2, which is perfect for traveling! It also comes with a small instruction booklet, a cover for your brush head, as well as the charger. The acne cleanser comes with a pump in the box as well (as you can see pictured).

The first part of this review is going to be geared towards the actual Clarisonic Mia2. I found it to be super user friendly. It comes with a charger, and you must charge it for 24 hours before using it for the first time. However, the charge will last you for approximately 25 uses (each use is 1 minute). The brush is soft on your skin, yet firm enough to really pull dirt and makeup out from your pores.

There are two speed settings for the Clarisonic Mia2. You may use whichever one you like — it’s basically based off of your own personal preference; I prefer to use the faster speed. The Clarisonic Mia2 uses a pulsing T-Timer, which will assist in providing even cleansing throughout the face. This T-Time allots 20 seconds for the forehead, 20 seconds for the nose and chin area, and 10 seconds for each cheek.

I have been using this particular product for around a month or so now, and I am amazed with using the Mia2 every time! It is the best way to cleanse your skin. I’ve even tried using just normal face cleansing routine with a washcloth, and then used the Mia2 afterwards; you can SEE the remnants of foundation coming off of your skin and onto the Clarisonic Acne Cleansing Brush Head! It’s actually amazing. I never realized how ineffective using a washcloth alone was on your face.

This leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth, and actually gives my face a glow. I would purchase this product and recommend it to anyone! By the way, in case you were wondering, the Mia2 comes with a two-year warranty. It is also recommended to change the brush heads once every three months, as they are fairly inexpensive to purchase.

On to the special Clarisonic Acne Daily Clarifying Cleanser that comes with the Mia2 as part of the collection. It claims to gently dry and clean acne blemishes while allowing your skin to heal. It has enriching vitamins and botanicals to reduce redness and leave your skin soft and smooth.

I’m on the fence with this product. It has a pleasant, clean and fresh scent. The texture is smooth and it appears to be an effective general facial cleanser, in my opinion. However, I wish that there was a higher percentage of salicylic acid in this product. The cleanser did not cause me to breakout (such as other cleansers that may have mineral oil and what not), however, it wasn’t strong enough to really be effective at clearing acne and preventing acne. It seemed that I went without a new breakout for about a week or so, but then I ended up getting a couple of your run of the mill blemishes here and there. It also did not heal acne as well as I had hoped it would.

My skin is particularly red when I break out, with the exception of the actual pimple, so I can’t comment too much on this cleanser reducing redness, but I did notice that my skin felt more smooth than normal after using.
I would recommend the acne cleanser for anyone who doesn’t have super acne-prone skin. If you have sensitive skin and are just looking for a great facial cleanser, this would be perfect. However, if you have mild to serious acne, this would definitely be ineffective for you. I would say at any given time I usually have 2-3 pimples on my face during a bad week. I do not have the worst acne in the world, please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, but if this product could not clear up my mild acne, then how could it clear up someone who is suffering from constant and continuous breakouts all over their face?

So, over all, I would definitely recommend the Clarisonic Mia2 to anyone! Men, women, teens, etc. I would give this product 5 out of 5 stars! It’s truly a new staple product to my skincare routine. I can’t imagine not having one after having been so fortunate enough to try it out!

As far as the cleanser, I would probably give this a 3 out of 5 stars, simply because most cleansers geared towards acne tend to actually break you out rather than help your blemishes, and I find that this didn’t break me out at all. It just wasn’t strong enough to clear up what acne I already had.

If you’re looking to purchase the Clarisonic Mia2 system as a whole, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. This product will be available at www.clarisonic.com as well as your local Sephora and www.sephora.com and will be retaining for $169.00 for the whole collection.