Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Neutrogena (acne-prone) Facial Bar Review

My love for Neutrogena started when i used the Fine Fairness UV Compact Powder. I'm glad that i found another good product from this range & will continue to support this brand. Today i will be giving my thoughts on Neutrogena Facial Bar.


This had helped me a great deal during the time that i was suffering from acne. I never did realize that this simple bar of soap is the answer to my prayers. After spending loads of money on products that i thought would work on me, i was surprised, annoyed, & glad that this one really does work.

Yes...annoyed! Annoyed at myself for not really buying this earlier when my instinct has been telling me to try this instead of all the soaps that i have tried *cough*Kojic soaps*cough*. Who would have thought that a simple bar of glycerin soap can actually do wonders?! I never would have guessed it until i have personally tried it.

This is the description at the back: (feel free to click to enlarge it)


Ok, let me tell you first how i came to use it. I was browsing Watsons one day looking for a soap. This is the time when i decided to stop using those 'facial sets' (facial wash, toner, moisturizer) that doesn't really work. I will be telling you my acne story sometime..im already almost done with it. Then i saw this bar & since i have been really curious with this & it's just P90 (almost $2), i decided to give this a try. I wasn't really expecting that this would actually work on me, but it did!

The first thing that i did when i opened it was to smell it. Ugh! It has a strong, weird scent & was thinking of almost not using it because of the scent. It smells of somewhat glycerin with a hint of spicy musk (the kind that i most smell when i pop open a bottle of men's after shave). Y'all know that i hate products with scents....The scent somewhat lingers on your skin, but you just get used to the scent afterward.

It looks like this:



It's almost translucent brown. There's a note at the tab that actually says that this "melts easily due to superior rinsability", & it's true. So make sure that you keep this in a dry place when storing. It's actually better if you cut it up instead of using all of it. Just like how i did mine. I cut a third portion of it.. kept the bigger portion & used the smaller one.


I remember when i first used mine, i opened it & placed it on a soap dish & uses it every now & then, until such time that i notice that it became softer & the color changed from brown to somewhat whitish. It seems to melts as soon as i touch it & it became gooey that i ended up throwing it away. So from then on i decided to cut it up so to make sure that i use everything.

Let's break it down one by one:
  • Pure, Gentle Cleansing - CHECK

This did not control my oiliness. It just stayed the same, but what's great about this is that it won't leave your skin with that tight & dry feeling after using. There are some facial wash that after using it your skin will really feel squeaky-clean. I think it's not a good thing  to use products like that because it completely strips off the natural protection that your skin has. I think it's a must that we all go for gentle cleansing. Even those that got oily skin. We only have to get rid of excess oils on our skin & let the natural oil from our skin do its thing.

  • Superior Rinsability - CHECK
It says that it won't leave residue that might interfere with any acne medications. I like this description. Most facial wash out there contains ingredients such as salicylic acid, tee tree oil, benzoyl peroxide & the likes which can really help control/fight acne, but if you pile on other products on top of that, i think your skin will just get clogged up from using too much which might end up in irritations & inflamations, don't you think so?

I like the fact that this doesn't have any added ingredients & i think it made my skin really breathe which made my acne stopped. It was like my skin was suffocated from everything that i was using that's why i developed acne!

  • Won't clog pores - CHECK
Need i say more? I think my earlier explanation would prove that this is really non-comedogenic. You can also take a quick look at what i said about it being non-comedogenic over at my compact review.

After all of that, it's time to do a recap...

PROS:
  • cheap
  • available at leading drugstores/groceries
  • really works!
  • also available in the original formula
CONS:
  • has a strong scent
  • melts easily (make sure you keep it dry in between use)
Will i buy it?
It's a staple for me..so YES I WILL DEFINITELY BUY IT!
If i partner it with Likas Papaya, i won't have to worry about zits & blemishes at all! Review for Likas Papaya soap soon to follow...

I'm really glad that i was able to break the breakout cycle with Neutrogena. I'm so happy!
Hope you give this a try too...

Hope y'all have a great day!

Jaa ne~!
^_~

36 comments:

AskMeWhats said...

cutting it is a great idea! My brother loves this!!! he's got oily skin! :D

Ida said...

Oh my gosh, really? I just might try this if none of the things I ordered recently will work. My acne right now is pretty bad eh :(

Unknown said...

I remember buying this in bulk and my cousin used all of them! Yes, it does melt very fast, which I hate, but it is wonderful.

Anonymous said...

yay! just in time coz im currently breaking out, thanks for sharing sis, =)

Fifi said...

Awesome! I will pay a visit to a local drugstore to see if it's available over here. <3

Elsa said...

wow i am happy that this soap really solved ur skin problem...

i should try this one too, one of of this days maybe..

thanks for the great review sis!!!

God bless!

Bernadette Villanueva said...

I think I've used this soap when I was in school, and while it didn't solve my blemish problems fully, it's a great combo with my medicines from the derma. =) I just hate it when it gets white, soft and gooey! So yes to cutting it! Glad it worked wonders for you, Thia!

Anastacia said...

wow! sounds like a very nice product!
I wish i can try more of Neutrogena stuff as well!
Nice review!

Isabeau Jane said...

i tried this too but didnt work on me as it did on you *sigh but id like to give it another try.. the only thing that helped me was my Mary Kay set and I had to religiously do a 3 step routine grrr.. im definitely following you nah ^^

isabeau

The ViXeN's LaiR

oOchaOo said...

hi thiamere! thanks for posting a very nice review about this product. i will definitely recommend this to my friend who's currently having a bad break out :)

MilknCookiie said...

Ooh it sounds really good! Thanks for the review, I will definitely put this on my to-try list. ^^

★ Cookiie

Maui (Suushh) said...

I think Ive tried this back when I was troubled with acne, didnt work for me at the tme though, perhaps my hormones were really strong? lol

hosei said...

pag naglagay ka nang likas anu unahin.... likas o neutro?

Jem said...

@hosei
i only use Likas Papaya when i take a bath. Actually that's the only soap that i use when bathing...

but when i wash my face (just washing) then that's the time that i use Neutrogena..

Though if a zit appears, i use Neutrogena as much as possible because it helps keep the zits off!
^_~

michelle said...

hello! i wanna ask if you use any toner to partner with neutrogena? or just neutrogena for your face? thank you..

Jem said...

@ michelle
thanks for reading my post & leaving a comment,hun
^_^

actually i don't use anything on my face na. no toners or moisturizers... when i go out, then that's the time that i use Monolaurin Gel as a primer..
^_^

michelle said...

i see.. thank you for answering! :) maybe i'll do your regime too..

Liz said...

Grabe hirap cya hanapin sa watsons and mercury

Where did u buy this soap?

Jem said...

@liz
J&J phased this product out & up until now im fuming about it
>_<
T_T

ReikaAmakura said...

waaaaaaaaaaaa!! is this product really phased out?? I first thought Neutrogena was expensive so I havent tried it yet. Im using Godiva, and I tell you, it makes my skin feel tight and dry. x_x

btw, I followed your blog :)
hope you drop by mine. thanks!
http://cosplayrune.blogspot.com

Thiamere Brea said...

yeah...unfortunately, this specific product is phased out
*sigh*
but im glad i was able to find a soap that worked on me
you have to check out my orange peel & l gluta soap review,sweetie
^_^

ReikaAmakura said...

must try that! thanks!

Karla Jane said...

is neutrogena better than orange peel???i dnt knw what to buy...i need your help ms. thiamere=(

Thiamere Brea said...

sweetie,i've replied to your comments before & also your email
have you've checked them?
i said that neutrogena was discontinued already so i don't have a choice but to look for an alternative & i found the best soap out there (for me) which is the orange peel soap.

in all fairness to neutrogena, it was able to stop my acne but not clear my blemishes while orange-peel soap did both
^_^

Rhamagular said...

na'try kuna yan.. you can buy it at sm malls. it costs about 180php

Anonymous said...

saan po sa sm?

yanna said...

Neutrogena Acne soap is the CULPRIT of my acne breakouts. This soap didnt work for me at all. I tried using this for about 2months and it collected even more acne and worse, my skin got very sensitive. I ended up using Safeguard white soap and it made my skin normalize. The real trick for soaps is to look for somethin that has a strong ingredient for "antibacteria". Ang acne ay cause ng bacteria. Neutrogena does only have acids etc etc but they dont seem to specify an antibacterial agent. Ive been suffering acne for about 10years , safeguard lang pala talaga ang gamot. I tried the ff products like Acne Aid, Ponds, St. Ives, Neutrogena Acne Soap, Physiogel, Cetaphil even Dove. Pinagtatawanan natin pag Safeguard or Perla ang gamit, but indeed, totoo pala mga yan. We are just being hyped by tv commercials about facial soaps.

Madhu shree said...

Your information is useful Dry skin/ dry skin soap

Ken said...

Maam, any idea where could I buy this here? Tried sa duty free, kaso wala din :(

Thiamere Brea said...

i found some in royal mall in subic for a little less than $4 i think. we were there last summer & they still got tons of bars!

ken said...

layo naman hehehe.... Thanks for the info, baka may kaibigan ako na pumunta dun, pabili na lang ako.
thanks po

Thiamere Brea said...

have you checked my review about orange peel & lgluta soap?
that was the one that worked for me.if you won't be able to get this maybe that will work for you

Jolly Josephine said...

hey, i found someone selling this online

http://www.shopworldph.com/?wpsc-product=neutrogena-transparent-facial-bars-acne-prone-skin-formula-3-5-ounce

xtina_gorgeous said...

I had acne aid soap til now d p nga ubos... hnd nga cia nkktnggal ng pimples or acne.... i had pimple breakouts recently... never had pimples during HS, College or even after i graduated and now im working as a call cnter rep. d nmn ako ngkaroon ng pimples kht ngppuyat ako.... it started few mos after ko mangnak... kla ko hormonal lng pg mgkkron nq.... den til now hnd pdn ako tntigilan.. nwwla dn nmn pero bmbalik and the weird thing is sa isang area lng cia tumutubo which sa right lower chin ko... along that side.... ung acne aid nkkwala lng cia n oiliness ng face ... ive tried defensil by Kojie San 35 php lng... nkkwala nmn cia... now im trying the Garnier pure active withfruit something (sorry nlimtn ko).. pero prang gs2 ko na itry ung SafeGuard derma sense for acne prone,...

xtina_gorgeous said...

I never had acne until lately after giving birth. Tpos one area lng cia tumubo sa chin or jaw area. Ang hirap mtnggal pbalik balik... Nkkfrustrate n nga. The rest of my face is clear nmn pero kc it leaves pimple marks which is awful at npktnggal dn mwala.. Kung anu anu n nittry ko.. Im pulling my hair out na nga kng anu mgndang skin regimen na pasok sa budget. San po pwde mbli ung soap na to?

xtina_gorgeous said...

i have used Safe guard derma sense for acne prone skn lately. Okay din siya... Siguro not all pricey products eh mgwwork 100%. Sometimes you just have to stick to the basics.

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