Mo wants to know…How does The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser clean when it has absolutely no SLS/SLES in it? The ingredients suggest that it is more of a moisturizer. I’m confused.
The Right Brain responds:
To answer Mo’s missive let’s take a look at the ingredients…
The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser ingredients
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Gel, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Butylene Glycol, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Glyceryl Stearate, Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Disodium Phosphate.
As Mo aptly pointed out there’s nary a detergent to be found in this product. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any cleansing properties. Remember there are more than one mechanism for cleansing. Detergents (the typical foaming cleansers that include soap and synthetic detergents like SLS and SLES) are one way. They work by allowing oils and water to mix.
Solvent green
The other approach is to use solvents that dissolve oily dirt; that’s how the old school cold creams work. This product is more like that because it contains oily material which have solvency like Pentylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, and Palm Oil. Instead of “washing” away greasy dirt, these solvents dissolve them through the principle of “like dissolves like.” (If you’re not familiar with this concept you can read our post on how oil-based makeup removers work.)
The downside of this approach is that it may not remove heavy, greasy makeup and it may not leave your skin feeling clean. You’ll have to try it for yourself to see if works for the kind of makeup removal you need. But don’t be freaked out just because you don’t see SLS or SLES on the label.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Like the old saying goes, there’s more than one way to skin a cat Or in this case, there’s more than one way to clean a skin. Just because a product doesn’t contain typical cleansing ingredients doesn’t mean it won’t clean.
What do YOU think? Do you like foaming cleansers or the like-dissolves-like cold cream style? Leave a cleansing comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
Loading ...
{ 3 trackbacks }
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank You Right Brain. You’re the best. I tried it & prefer the suds. This one does not make my face feel clean & seems to cause breakouts. Back to Clinique Liquid facial Soap (Mild) for now.
Ooh, a reference to Soylent Green!
What’s Soylent Green ?
The Aloe Calming Cleanser is one of the few cleanser that never ever irritate my sensitive skin. In my experience, it cleans gently but well, and leaves me skin feeling really soft and dried out.
Mo asked: ‘What’s Soylent Green?’
To quote: “Soylent green… is PEOPLE!”
Mo, get thee to a video story and rent
“Soylent Green” an old sci-fi classic.
Now I gotta go try that cleanser. This winter has been hard on my skin.
I figured its a movie, will download tonight.
Just to warn you, I only use the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap during the summer and the weather here is really hot & humid.
During Winter, I switch to Aquanil or Cerave cleanser.
I’m glad you caught the reference. Solvent Green was a pun on Soylent Green.
Thanks for the review! I would think this cleanser is more for those with sensitive to dry skins that want a more gentler cleansing approach? I’ve heard that the “clean” feeling we associate with “good” cleansers is often more the feeling of moisture being stripped from our skin.
When I find a cleanser to be excellent, I tend to remain loyal to it – especially since I am a healthy chemical free person. I may try others, but always return to the one that continues to be excellence year after year. Despite more costly cleansers – the Made from Earth Green Tea Toxin Cleanser has been my cleanser of choice for the last 5 years.
My skin and eyes are extremely sensitive, so I am very cautious with the type of cleanser I choose. This one was recommended by a dermatologist and I’m very grateful for the suggestion. It is extremely gentle, fragrance free and can be used directly on my eyes. I apply it onto my dry face, rub it all over, then rinse it off and pat my face dry. I gave a bottle to my sister and she was impressed, too. In all honesty, I don’t know if she’s returned to using the chanel cleanser, but I am as faithful to the Made from Earth skincare line. If you too have sensitive skin, try the Green Tea Toxin Cleanser for a nice treat – you wont be disappointed.
Also – dont buy at your local Whole Foods. .They are usually overprice their products..its worth it to buy online for the discounts..even with the shipping expense it is cheaper…