Kittenish Beauty

I returned the Neutrogena Redness-Soothing Cream Cleanser.
One reason I thought Neutrogena Redness-Soothing Cream Cleanser would work for me is because I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub and love it. I use it in the morning in the shower, and it seems to do a good job of cleaning and exfoliating my skin. It has a light, soothing fragrance and it only irritates my skin when I scrub too vigorously.
Well, these must have really distinct formulas for me to have such drastically different reactions. Except...

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub

Make acne one less stress

• With MicroClear™ technology
• Treats acne even before it emerges
• Salicylic acid acne treatment

Clears oil instantly, fights breakouts and gently exfoliates without over-drying. So advanced, it treats acne even before it emerges.

• MicroClear™, a powerful technology, is clinically proven to boost delivery of acne medicine to unclog congested pores and speed treatment deep to the source.
• Creamy formula with skin soothers, including green tea and cucumber, softens skin while microbeads exfoliate.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Salicylic Acid (2%) (Acne Treatment)
INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Water, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG 15 Stearyl Ether, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Polyethylene, Polysorbate 60, Steareth 21, C12 15 Alkyl Lactate, Cetyl Lactate, Cocamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Panthenol, Cucumber Fruit Extract (Cucumus Sativus), Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Menthol, Microcrystalline Wax, Benzalkonium Chloride, Yellow 5, Green 5, Blue 1, Fragrance

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Cream Cleanser

Clears breakouts & reduces redness
Naturally soothing aloe and chamomile
MicroClear® Technology
Salicylic acid acne treatment
With naturally soothing aloe and chamomile, this rich, creamy cleanser powerfully clears away breakouts and blackheads without over-drying and visibly reduces redness caused by acne. Unique formula calms irritation so skin looks and feels clearer and healthier.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Salicylic Acid (2%) (Acne Treatment)
INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Water, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG 15 Stearyl Ether, Glycolic Acid, Steareth 21, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, C12 15 Alkyl Lactate, Cetyl Lactate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract (Matricaria), Cocamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sodium Benzotriazoyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Xanthan Gum, Benzalkonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Menthol, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Fragrance

Neutrogena's Mysterious Oil-Free MicroClear Potions

You don't need to go through the ingredients one by one; I already did that for you.
The unique ingredients in Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub are Polyethylene, Tocopherol, Cucumber Fruit Extract (Cucumus Sativus), Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, and Microcrystalline Wax.
The unique ingredients in Neutrogena Redness-Soothing Cream Cleanser are Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract (Matricaria), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, and Propylene Glycol.
None of those ingredients seem particularly onerous. The difference between the two cleansers that really jumps out at me is the fragrance. The Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub has a naturally soothing fragrance that isn't strong or perfumey. The Neutrogena Redness-Soothing Cream Cleanser has an overpowering, "fake" smell that doesn't belong in any skin care product.

Skin Brightening, Redness Calming Cleanser for Night

I considered getting Neutrogena Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser (I think I've used it before, but I can't remember for sure); there are two reasons I decided against it: 1. It has little exfoliating scrubbers in it. 2. The last Neutrogena cleanser I tried didn't work out.
So then, what to do...
Juice Organics Brightening Cleanser sounded good. It has nice ingredients and gets some good reviews. Plus, it's supposed to brighten skin. But, I went to two different Targets and a Walmart and none had any Juice Organics products. It was frustrating; I know I've seen Juice Organics in stores recently.
Avalon Organics Vitamin C Hydrating Cleansing Milk seemed similar, so I picked that up instead. I like that it has White Tea in it. Since it's so thick and creamy, I may try double cleansing, see how that goes.