Remember back when you were a teenager and dry skin was just never a problem? In fact, you did everything possible to get your face to stop producing so much “moisture”. Well, some of us (I like to think of us as “the lucky ones” to maintain my skin sanity) never completely left those teenage years behind. We, as full grown women, get to have dry skin mixed with some of that oil of our youth. Voila! Combination skin. Dry in places but still prone to breakouts in the T zone. So what are we to do?

We find a cleanser and moisturizing routine that fits our skin, that’s what we do. With the number of products available now to address just about any skin type, we have a lot of choices. My first choice is to use Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Face Wash as my morning cleanser. Just the name of this product makes me happy. There are people out there who understand!

Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Face Wash comes in a regular old plastic tube that flips open from the bottom. It comes out of the tube pearly white with a reasonably creamy consistency – not so thin that it runs out of my hand, not so thick that it’s hard to get out of the tube. I use about a nickel sized glob which is plenty for my face and neck. Since I use it in the shower, I get it a little wet before rubbing my hands together and applying. The directions don’t specify wetting the product first, but I’ve found that, like my Olay Foaming Face Wash, it’s easier to apply wet. After applying, I just give my whole face a gentle scrub with my hands and rinse it off. Easy as pie.

According to the package, Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Face Wash is specifically formulated with salicylic acid that ”treats and helps prevent blemishes” and alpha hydroxy that ”smoothes fine lines”. The drug facts information gives a salicylic acid percentage of 0.5% and warns of increased sun sensitivity due to the alpha hydroxy acids.

My experience is that this is a generally good, over the counter product with mild chemical exfoliating properties. It isn’t too drying for me to use in the cold and dry Midwestern winter and can keep up with the increased face grease of summer heat and humidity. It also, when I use it daily, prevents most breakouts and seems to minimalize any that might occur.

One problem I have is that Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Face Wash does leave me with some dry skin on my cheeks, especially in the winter. This is something I can’t fault it too harshly for, since virtually every other cleanser I have ever tried has done the same. It’s all about balance. With Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Face Wash I get decent blemish control without excessive dryness, which is all I can really ask for. A single product is never going to be able to address every one of my needs. I do not use this product more than once a day, however, because that does, for me, end up being overly drying. I choose Olay Foaming Face Wash at night instead.

Now, how about those anti-wrinkle claims? I’ve been using Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Face Wash for quite some time and I can’t say that it has ever led to any noticeable change in the fine lines around my eyes. But who knows? Maybe it’s helped them remain fine. I don’t know. But I didn’t notice any difference when I began using the product. For me, the alpha hydroxy provides a nice bit of exfoliation without the irritation of a mechanical exfoliating scrub. That, I like - and I can tell that my skin overall is smoother when I use it daily.

Overall, Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Face Wash is a good product for those of us who are no longer teenagers but still have combination skin. It provides a bit of blemish control and a bit of exfoliation without going overboard on either. Used twice daily it proves to be too drying for my skin, but each morning it’s the first course of my skincare routine.


Recommended: Yes