Spot Controlling+ Facial Wash

Neutrogena

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Neutrogena Spot Controlling+ Facial Wash is a cleanser. Our analysis of its 14 ingredients (11 low-risk) rates it Excellent (94/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Cleansers
Ingredients
14
Low-risk
11
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe Minimal Ingredients

PH Level

(Know the PH? Submit it here! )

N/A - No submissions yet

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 2/4
Good for dry skin
Gluconolactone Sorbitol
Caution for dry skin
Salicylic Acid Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate Sodium Hydroxide Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Sensitive Skin 1/5
Good for sensitive skin
Sodium Bicarbonate
Caution for sensitive skin
Gluconolactone Sodium Chloride Sorbitol Salicylic Acid Citric Acid

Ingredients list

14 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (4)
All14 Skin Conditioning5 Buffering Agent4 Fragrance4 Masking3 Denaturant3 Ph Adjuster3 Humectant3 Viscosity Controlling3
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
2
B
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
(Cleansing, Foaming, Surfactant)
Sulfate
Sulfate
1
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Sufactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Sorbitol
(Flavoring Agent, Fragrance, Humectant, Plasticizer, Skin Conditioning)
4
B
Glycolic Acid
(Exfoliant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Gluconolactone
(Fragrance, Humectant, Solvent)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
4
B
Salicylic Acid
(Antiacne Agent, Antidandruff Agent, Corn/Callus/Wart Remover, Denaturant, Exfoliant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Keratolytic, Masking, Preservative)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
2
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
(Cleansing, Denaturant, Emulsifying, Foaming, Surfactant)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Sulfate
Sulfate
1
Sodium Chloride
(Bulking Agent, Masking, Oral Care Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
Potassium Acrylates Copolymer
(Binding, Film Forming)
1
A
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
2
A
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Sodium Bicarbonate
(Abrasive, Buffering Agent, Deodorant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Phadjuster, Skin Protecting)

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Exfoliant
Gluconolactone
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Exfoliant, Skin Conditioning
Sodium Bicarbonate
Skin Protecting

Benefits

Fungal-acne (Malassezia) safe
Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Contains sulfate
May not suit dry skin
May not suit sensitive skin

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Antistatic agentHair conditioningSkin conditioningSufactantFoam boostingViscosity increasing agentViscosity controlling
Sorbitol
Flavoring agent, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Flavoring agentFragranceHumectantPlasticizerSkin conditioning
Gluconolactone
Fragrance, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceHumectantSolvent
Sodium Hydroxide
Denaturant, Ph adjuster
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B DenaturantPh adjusterBuffering agent
Sodium Chloride
Bulking agent, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Bulking agentMaskingOral care agentViscosity controlling
Potassium Acrylates Copolymer
Binding, Film forming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A BindingFilm forming
Disodium EDTA
Chelating agent, Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Chelating agentViscosity controlling
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive, Buffering agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A AbrasiveBuffering agentDeodorantOral care agentOral health care drugPhadjusterSkin protecting
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing, Foaming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR B CleansingFoamingSurfactant Sulfate
Glycolic Acid
Exfoliant, Ph adjuster
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B ExfoliantPh adjusterBuffering agent Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Salicylic Acid
Antiacne agent, Antidandruff agent
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR B Antiacne agentAntidandruff agentCorn/callus/wart removerDenaturantExfoliantFragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningKeratolyticMaskingPreservative Good for Oily SkinBad for Sensitive Skin
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing, Denaturant
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 1–2 CleansingDenaturantEmulsifyingFoamingSurfactant Bad for Oily SkinSulfate
Citric Acid
Chelating agent, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A Chelating agentFragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking Bad for Sensitive Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Use as the first step, on clean hands, before the rest of your routine.
  • 2 Morning & evening: Suitable for both AM and PM use.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Use with caution
BHA (salicylic) (Salicylic Acid)

Low-strength topical salicylic acid (BHA) is generally considered fine. Caution is usually reserved for high-strength leave-on products and salicylic peels.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

BHA (salicylic) 0.5–2%

Salicylic acid is OTC-capped at 2%; 0.5–2% is the usual leave-on range. Much below that it acts more as a soothing agent than an exfoliant.

Salicylic Acid

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Glycolic Acid

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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