If you want learn how to pick a mild facial cleanser, read this Beauty Brains article on Today.com. We talk about formulations containing Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (the same ingredient used in the mildest body washes) and we give the example of Murad Renewing Cleanser that uses milder ingredients than other leading products.
Disclaimer: If you purchase Murad using this link you’ll be supporting the Beauty Brains blog.
Murad Renewing Cleanser
WATER (AQUA), SODIUM COCOYL ISETHIONATE, STEARIC ACID, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, CETYL ALCOHOL, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) KERNEL OIL, MENHADEN OIL, BORAGO OFFICINALIS SEED OIL, OENOTHERA BIENNIS (EVENING PRIMROSE) OIL, SERENOA SERRULATA FRUIT EXTRACT, PANTHENOL, ALGAE EXTRACT, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) EXTRACT, SODIUM HYALURONATE, IMPERATA CYLINDRICA ROOT EXTRACT, SORBITOL, CARICA PAPAYA (PAPAYA) FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRUS MEDICA LIMONUM (LEMON) FRUIT EXTRACT, GLYCERIN, BENZOPHENONE-4, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, PEG-8, CARBOMER, XANTHAN GUM, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) OIL, CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA (LIME) OIL, CITRUS TANGERINA (TANGERINE) PEEL OIL, ANIBA ROSAEODORA (ROSEWOOD) WOOD OIL, PRUNUS AMYGDALUS AMARA (BITTER ALMOND) KERNEL OIL, BAROSMA BETULINA LEAF OIL, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) OIL
Here are the complete ingredient lists for the clean face products discussed in the Today.com article that don’t use the same mild ingredient.
Sebamed Liquid Face and Body Wash
Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Laureth-2, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Glycol Distearate, Fragrance (Parfum), Saccharide Isomerate, Allantoin, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Pyridoxine HCI (Vitamin B6), Glycine, Magnesium Aspartate, Alanine, Lysine, Leucine, Biotin (Vitamin H), Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Citrate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sorbitan Laurate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Yellow 10 (CI 47005), Blue 1 (CI 42090)
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap
Purified water, sodium laureth sulfate, lauramidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, sodium chloride, sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, tea cocyl glutamate, butylene glycol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, serenoa serrulata (saw palmetto fruit extract), PEG-120 methyl glucose dioleate, sucrose, menthol, hexylene glycol, polyquaternium-7, laureth 2, caprylyl glycol, sodium sulfate, EDTA, disodium EDTA, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol
References (JSCC):
Why is sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) mild to the skin barrier?An in vitro investigation based on …2007, Vol 58
Review of properties of surfactants that determine their interactions with stratum corneum 1997, Vol 48
The use of fluorescein as a probe to monitor anionic surfactant rinsability from skin 1998, Vol 49
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
What makes the Sebamed cleanser “mild”? I’ve used this cleanser and it’s incredibly drying, not to mention EXTREMELY fragranced!
Oh, and the ingredient list you have for the Clinique cleanser is outdated!
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Tea-Cocoyl Glutamate, Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sucrose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone PEG-8 Succinate,
Tocopheryl Ethyl Succinate Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria), Hexylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Laureth-2, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Sulfate, Edta, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
@Josh: It doesn’t look like the Today.com article has been posted yet, but we addressed both your questions in the original article. We pointed out that Sebamed uses surfactants that are generally more harsh and drying than the Mirad product. We also warned readers that fragrance can be very irritating.
@thebeautybrains: Dear-oh-dear… another mistake with ingredients Brains
You claim the Sebamed cleanser is based upon the surfactant “sodium lauryl sulfate”. It’s actually sodium laureth sulfate, and while closely related, laureth is considerably milder than lauryl. Still harsh compared with some others of course. That, and the error with the Clinique ingredients….
Josh thanks for the follow up. Just to be clear we just copied and pasted the Clinique list of ingredients from an online source. I’ll try and check to see where the error came in. And thanks for kept catching the typo on Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. You’re absolutely correct about the difference between it and the laureth sulfate.
I’ve had the best luck with organic cold cream. It’s the only thing that doesn’t dry me out. I haven’t tried drugstore brands like Ponds but I’m curious.
There is no link to the Murad cleanser.
@Dee: The link if working on our end. It may be a browser problem. Which browser are you using? (And thanks for the heads up on this!)
I’m using Firefox. I checked using Safari and there is an image of the Murad product with a working link. There’s nothing on Firefox. It could be that I haven’t updated Firefox in a while.
@Dee: Thanks for confirming the link works in Safari. I just checked it in my version of Firefox and it worked fine as well. (If you haven’t updated Firefox in a while, you should for security reasons. Ya gotta be careful out there!)
I love all sebamed products, they are great!!!!!
Another vote for cold cream!