Hydro Boost Water Gel vs Skin Food Body Butter: which is safer?

Skin Food Body Butter is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

Neutrogena

Hydro Boost Water Gel

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 67/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Water-based gel with glycerin and humectants

Confidence

75%

PossibleFragrance allergens and fragrance mix reactions

PossiblePreservative-related irritation (parabens or alternatives)

Our pick

Weleda

Skin Food Body Butter

PFAS grade

Excellent 100/100

Overall grade

Excellent 92/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

Plant oils, butters, waxes

Confidence

82%

PossibleFragrance allergens

PossibleOil oxidation and rancidity

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Fragrance allergens and fragrance mix reactions and Preservative-related irritation (parabens or alternatives) on the Neutrogena and not on the Weleda.
  • We flag Fragrance allergens and Oil oxidation and rancidity on the Weleda and not on the Neutrogena.
  • The Neutrogena is Water-based gel with glycerin and humectants where the Weleda is Plant oils, butters, waxes, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Weleda is the one to buy.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More moisturizer, see the full ranking