Cosmetic Product Review: Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash

I thought that Neutrogena’s Body Clear Body Wash would work for me, since I’ve had on and off body acne on my chest and back and many of my friends have given it a try and continue to use it. My mom also recommended it because she “heard it was good.” It was worth a try since I’ve tried out a variety of products, and this wasn’t something that would be a waste of money — it was actually pretty affordable. As I’ve learned with my skin (I have eczema, which might be another factor in my evaluation of this body wash), changing between soaps that have worked once before is better, because if I go too long using one soap, my skin seems to become immune, but when I switch back and forth, it’s quite all right.

Neutrogena’s Body Clear Body Wash says that it “is a refreshing clean-rinsing body wash that helps fight breakouts on your back, chest and shoulders. This effective, yet gentle formula contains a proven acne-fighting ingredient that treats and helps prevent breakouts without overdrying and irritating your skin. The foaming lather rinses completely without pore-clogging residue, leaving your skin feeling clean.”

Salicylic acid and dryness
The body wash’s main ingredient is salicylic acid, which is almost always the main active ingredient in acne treatment products. The body wash contains 2% salicylic acid. Salicylic acid tends to have drying effects, especially on sensitive skin — this has its advantages and disadvantages. Salicylic acid — with its drying effects — is used as acne treatment, because its aim is to dry out the pimple (as oil is usually a big factor in why acne appears) and flake it away. But you see, this is an advantage and disadvantage in itself, unless you have acne all over your body. Neutrogena’s Body Clear Body Wash claims it helps fight breakouts mainly for these areas: back, chest, and shoulders. But what about your arms, legs, butt, neck, waist, etc? You may feel a bit dry in areas where you don’t have acne breakouts or don’t currently have acne. You can prevent this by using this body wash mainly on your back, chest, and shoulders (or wherever you are trying to rid acne) and use a different soap for the rest of your body. This might get tedious, especially if you’re in a rush shower, so your best bet to avoid dryness as a result from this body wash is to use your regular lotion after a shower and apply the lotion all over your body, except for the areas where you’re trying to treat the acne.

Fighting acne temporarily: using this body wash continually
For about the first few weeks, Neutrogena’s Body Clear Body Wash worked surprisingly well. It helped calm big flare ups (be patient, though) and helped treat existing bumps. However, after a while, I began to notice that the body wash wasn’t affecting me anymore. Perhaps my skin became immune to the body wash? I’m not sure, but even with continual use over an extended period of time (a few months), I found that I was still breaking out on my chest. Apparently the body wash was not helping prevent future breakouts.

My way around this is switching soaps: using this body wash for a period of time and then using my other effective soap, switching back after a period of time again.

I believe that a good way to treat body acne, such as on chest and shoulders, is to use facial pads — the kinds that Clearasil or Oxy offer that are in small boxy or cylindrical containers, containing about 30 to 90 pads per container. When a product is good enough for your face — which is more sensitive skin than your body, usually — it’s quite all right to use it on your body. These facial pads usually have just as much salicylic acid as this body wash (sometimes less) and this way you only have to apply it to where you need it.

The scent of a clean body
Some people complain about the scent, and some don’t mind. Personally, I feel that the fragrance of the body wash is nice and faint. When I first had a whiff of it, it reminded me of some deodorant — not necessarily bad. To me, it “smelled clean”, not bothersome or medicinal. So, just press the top and squeeze out the smell when you’re considering it in a store and see how you like it.

A temporary choice for eczema sufferers
I also found, as an eczema sufferer, that Neutrogena’s Body Clear Body Wash can temporarily help control eczema. In regard to the salicylic acid, the fact that it dries what it’s trying to treat may help open rashes and existing rashes (not open). It will sting, but when your rashes close up and/or dry, the dead skin cells will peel off and help your rashes heal — the flaky dead skin is one reason you, as an eczema sufferer, may begin to feel itchy. Again, this was a positive effect for me, but remember, all eczema sufferers’ skin are different, but you can always give it a try. However, don’t use it continually as an eczema sufferer, as you will find you will get too dry, and that will just make you itch anyhow. Just remember to use lotion.

Another ingredient that perhaps affected me positively when it came to my eczema was the citric acid. As an eczema sufferer, citric acid and citrus fruit relations always worked for my skin (taking hot baths with cut up fresh lemons floating around, applying fresh lemons over my rashes, etc.). Although citric acid stings like heck over open wounds, it works!

Other (inactive) ingredients:
water, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate, cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, disodium cocoamphodiacetate, glycerin, linoleamidopropyl PG-dimonium chloride phosphate, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, anthemis nobilis flower extract, matricaria (chamomilla recutita) flower extract, citric acid, propylene glycol, triclosan, yellow 5, red 33, fragrance

Pros
Cheap, clean smell, effects perhaps temporary

Cons
Not as effective, can get dry

The Bottom Line
Good for temporary eczema solution, but with regards to acne must continually use it which results in dryness of skin — use with lotion.

Recommended:
Not really

Reference:

• www.neutrogena.com