Neutrogena sounds like a totally new brand but it is actually a group of products by none other than Johnson and Johnson.
Johnson and Johnson is a big brand and has been around for quite a few decades. Over this period it has won many hearts and also broke many a naive heart's trust. So much so that in many countries this brand is shunned and it has lost its value. All this tragedy is because it uses some chemicals in its products, including those baby ones, which are harmful or banned.
Coming to this Neutrogena face wash, it is not much different from a typical J&J product in that it too contains many toxic chemicals. Please read below for the complete list of ingredients and their uses. Those that are harmful are marked in red.
Water - Base
Glycerin - Glycerin is a byproduct of saponification and it is also known as sweet oil. It attracts moisture from the environment to the skin making it useful for dry skin.
Oleic acid - It is a fatty acid which acts as a cleanser.
Coconut acid - Oils are needed in any kind of soap so that a strong hydrolysis is formed to produce soap. Coconut oil has good skin conditioning properties and it is the base of this cleanser.
Sodium hydroxide - It is one of the main ingredients of soap. It hydrolyses fat to form soap.
Triethanolamine - It is a strong alkaline substance and so it can modify the pH of the product accordingly.
Sodium trideceth sulphate - It is a rather harsh detergent that can strip the oils from the skin.
Sodium cocoamphoacetate and Cocoamphodiacetate - These are coconut oil derivatives which increase the foaming factor of any soap/ cleanser.
Citric acid - It is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) that can help to exfoliate and regenerate new skin cells promoting healthy skin. As it is acidic in nature, it can alter the pH of the product accordingly.
Caprylyl glycol - It is a good moisturizer and increases the anti-bacterial property of any preservative used in the product.
Trisodium HEDTA - It prevents the ingredients from reacting to each other by binding to metal ions and making them inactive. It also maintains the clarity of the product.
Phenoxyethanol - It is an anti-bacterial so it acts as a preservative which has come to the spotlight after the paraben scare. However, it is not the safest alternative to parabens. It is advised to be used in proportions less than 1% by the cosmetic regulations. According to some studies, prolonged use could cause contact dermatitis, worsen the condition of eczema, and build up toxins in the system harming the brain, the nervous system and the reproductive system.
BHT - Butylated hydroxytoluene is a preservative. The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has banned its use in cosmetics as it is proved to have harmful effects on the hormonal balance.
Hexylene glycol - It is used as a solving agent/ viscosity decreasing agent in facial cleansers. It is used to thin out the product so that it can spread more easily. It may irritate the eyes and sensitive skin on contact.
CI 19140, CI 17200, CI 42090
Review:
Speaking of my experience with this product has been quite contrary to its general popularity in the market. I expected great much things from it and it just left me looking dull and lifeless. I have no idea how it didn't suit me but after looking at those ingredients, it's actually a blessing in disguise that it did not work out for me. Just imagine if it would have actually impressed me and I continued to use it bottle after bottle and our love saga just went on and on ?
So, the face wash actually bears a very strong resemblance to J&J baby shampoo - its color and fragrance are so similar that I often wonder if it is a cleverly repackaged consumable. It is a mustard yellow liquid with a smooth texture that foams well with water. Just as easily it foams up, it is difficult to completely wash off. I always felt like a film of soap was left over on my skin.
I guess it will work well on oily or summer skin by getting rid of oil and also to keep skin oil free. Beauties with dry skin please be advised and stay miles away from it. It is just - not - meant - to - be. My skin felt and looked dry and patchy with no bit of glow peeping through. Utter disappointment!
Since it works wonders with all of what it has got to keep skin dry, it can combat pimples due to excessive oiliness. Probably a majority of its hopeful buyers also expect the same. Perhaps that is why it is still so famous - it probably dries out pimples in the same way and helps to bid goodbye ( for a while at least ).
Then its effect on my skin texture. I cannot really comment since that soap film always remained even after towel patting skin dry.
With every face wash, one would expect a beautiful sunset glow. But as I mentioned earlier, it actually stripped all glow and every thing off my face.
So, I don't have much to speak of. Once bitten twice shy. I have this bottle since a couple of months and now it is gathering dust in a forlorn corner.
I never meant to put ill reviews up in my blog but I felt that I could raise awareness on its bad chemicals content and to urge every one to use it wisely.
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