Pedro of East To West Skincare wants to know why Shiseido’s Clé de Peau Gentle Cleansing Foam leaves his face feeling moisturized. Let’s look at the label!
Ingredients
Sorbitol, Glycerin
These are moisture-grabbing lubricants. It’s unusual to see them this high in the ingredient list in a product like this. These are one reason your face feels so moisturized.
Water
It’s just…water.
Potassium Stearate, Potassium Myristate
These are “soap” materials that help the product foam. They provide a “fatty” cushion feel too. Also part of the moisturized feel.
Sodium Methyl Cocyl Taurate
A very mild cleanser, found in high end products. I’ve seen data that shows this ingredients strips much less oil from your skin. You’ll notice this product doesn’t contain any typical cleansers/foamers like Sodium Lauryl/laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, etc.
Peg-6, Peg-32
Emulsifiers that help hold the product together and create a stable foam.
Potassium Laurate
Another mild “soapy” material.
Stearic Acid
This fatty acid forms a natural soap when neutralized at a low pH.
Polyethylene, Poloxamer 184
Thickening agents.
Peg-60 Glyceryl Isostearate
Another emulsifier/stabilizer.
Lauryl Betaine
Foaming agent.
Myristic Acid
Not to be confused with Myristic Pizza. This one is like stearic acid.
Glyceryl Stearate SE
Classic emulsifier. In fact the SE in the name stands for “Special Emulsifier” grade.
Beeswax
A thickener not typically used in foaming cleansers.
Lauric Acid
See Stearic and Myristic Acid.
Trisodium EDTA
Helps control pH and boosts preservative system.
Fragrance
This stuff’s gotta smell good!
Trisodium HEDTA
Helps control pH and boosts preservative system.
Serine
An amino acid. Probably added to this formula to make it look more “science-y.”
Phellodendron Amurense Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
More useless extracts.
Sodium Acetylhyaluronate
A version of hyaluronic acid but it’s present so far down the ingredient list chain I can’t imagine it adds any performance.
Iron Oxides
Colorant, although I’m not sure why you’d use insoluble iron oxides rather than the water soluble FD&C dyes typically used in such products.
Image courtesy of Makeup Alley
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I guess this is why the product costs $63.00 for a 4.1 oz. tube?!
@Sue: Yes, but considering the chemicals in this product probably only cost $3 or $4 there’s still quite a mark up!
Thank you Brains!
Anhydrous scrubs have a much nicer skin feel when they’re mostly glycerin or propylene glycol. I never really thought about amping the percentages of humectants up in an actual H2O/surfactant system, though. Hmmm….I might have to experiment later.
I made an awesome bubble bath once that was about 40% glycerin (yes, you read that right. 40%!!!!) But that was just for help with the bubbles, and because I had to use up my glycerin bottles to make room for more oils. I honestly never thought of this. You just gave me tons of ideas. Thanks!