differin Gentle Cleanser
differin Differin Gentle Cleanser lists 8 ingredients on its label, 8 decoded. See what each one does, its irritancy and comedogenic tendency, and its status in national inventories.
Ingredients overview
Label order. Colour is our internal rating: green routine, yellow restricted or worth a look, red prohibited or high-risk, grey not yet decoded.
Ingredients are listed in label order; the order reflects the label only, not exact concentrations.
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of siliconesFree of mineral oilFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasersContains sulfatesContains fragranceContains parabens
Formulation view Simple formulation anchored by SLS for foaming, stearyl alcohol for structure, and propylene glycol for moisture. Parabens serve as preservatives. Best for oily skin seeking rich lather. Factory observation: SLS concentration dictates irritation threshold; precise emulsification balance between stearyl and cetyl alcohols is critical to prevent phase separation.
Key ingredients
- ANTIPLAQUE
- Water
- SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT
- Cetyl AlcoholStearyl Alcohol
- HUMECTANT
- Propylene Glycol
- CLEANSING
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- PRESERVATIVE
- Propylparaben
- FRAGRANCE
- MethylparabenButylparaben
Other ingredients
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ANTIPLAQUE, SKIN CONDITIONING, SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Cetyl Alcohol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, FRAGRANCE, OPACIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 1 · 1 | Green |
| Propylene Glycol | HUMECTANT, FRAGRANCE, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Stearyl Alcohol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, FRAGRANCE, OPACIFYING, REFATTING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 3 | Green |
| Sodium Lauryl Sulfate | CLEANSING, DENATURANT, FOAMING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 4 · 0 | Yellow |
| Propylparaben | PRESERVATIVE, PERFUMING · 限制 V/12 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Methylparaben | FRAGRANCE, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/12 | 0 · 0 | Yellow |
| Butylparaben | FRAGRANCE, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/12a | 0 · 0 | Yellow |
Ingredients explained
- Water
- Primary solvent and base; requires preservative system to prevent microbial growth
- Cetyl Alcohol
- Cetyl alcohol for emulsification/thickening; high concentration >10% may irritate.
- Propylene Glycol
- Polyol humectant at 3-10%; hygroscopic, slight tackiness, mild irritation at high conc., verify preservative efficacy, no allergen.
- Stearyl Alcohol
- Stearic alcohol; fatty alcohol for emulsion thickening/structure, often blended with soaps, moderate comedogenicity.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Strong anionic surfactant, high foam; high irritation risk, avoid in sensitive formulas.
- Propylparaben
- Medium-chain preservative; restricted use, pH-sensitive efficacy.
- Methylparaben
- Preservative, narrow spectrum; often combined, check allergen risk and regulatory limits.
- Butylparaben
- Butylparaben preservative; low concentrations; potential endocrine concerns, regulatory limits apply.
Source: full ingredient list published on the product label, collected 2026-09-19. Ratings are our internal reading, not a regulatory conclusion. · Product page
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