the-ordinary The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser
the-ordinary The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser lists 20 ingredients on its label, 19 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.
- Squalane
- Aqua
- Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
- Glycerin
- Sucrose Stearate
- Ethyl Macadamiate
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Sucrose Laurate
- Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
- Sucrose Dilaurate
- Sucrose Trilaurate
- Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
- Isoceteth-20
- Sodium Polyacrylate
- Tocopherol
- Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
- Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- Malic Acid
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Chlorphenesin
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of parabensFree of siliconesFree of sulfatesFree of mineral oilFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasersContains animal-derivedContains EU-26 allergensContains fragrance
Key ingredients
- SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT
- SqualaneCoco-Caprylate/CaprateSucrose StearateSucrose Laurate
- SOLVENT
- Aqua
- DENATURANT
- Glycerin
- SKIN CONDITIONING
- Ethyl Macadamiate
- FRAGRANCE
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Other ingredients
Hydrogenated Starch HydrolysateSucrose DilaurateSucrose TrilauratePolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6Isoceteth-20Sodium PolyacrylateTocopherolHydroxymethoxyphenyl DecanoneTrisodium Ethylenediamine DisuccinateMalic AcidEthylhexylglycerinChlorphenesin
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squalane | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, HAIR CONDITIONING, REFATTING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Aqua | SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Coco-Caprylate/Caprate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Glycerin | DENATURANT, HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, ORAL CARE, SKIN PROTECTING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sucrose Stearate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · – | Green |
| Ethyl Macadamiate | SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 1 | Green |
| Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride | FRAGRANCE, SOLVENT, PERFUMING, SKIN CONDITIONING - OCCLUSIVE | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sucrose Laurate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · – | Green |
| Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate | HUMECTANT | 0 · – | Green |
| Sucrose Dilaurate | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · 1 | Green |
| Sucrose Trilaurate | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · 2 | Green |
| Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 | EMULSION STABILISING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Isoceteth-20 | Not decoded yet | — | — |
| Sodium Polyacrylate | ABSORBENT, BINDING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, EMULSION STABILISING, FILM FORMING, HAIR FIXING, SKIN CONDITIONING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · – | Green |
| Tocopherol | ANTIOXIDANT, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS, SKIN CONDITIONING - OCCLUSIVE | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone | SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · – | Green |
| Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate | CHELATING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Malic Acid | BUFFERING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | DEODORANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Chlorphenesin | ANTIMICROBIAL, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/50 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
Ingredients explained
- Squalane
- Emollient from plants or synthetic; light texture
- Aqua
- Solvent, main base; microbial control is critical
- Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
- Lightweight mid-chain ester, quick spreading, suitable for oily skin, non-comedogenic.
- Glycerin
- Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives
- Sucrose Stearate
- Succrose ester emulsifier/emolient with cleansing properties; HLB determines emulsion type.
- Ethyl Macadamiate
- Ethyl ester of macadamia oleic acid; lightweight skin conditioning; low comedogenicity
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Light occlusive and solvent at 1–10%; non-greasy feel, suitable for oily and combination skin
- Sucrose Laurate
- Sucrose laurate; mild emulsifier and detergent; used for thickening and emulsifying creams; may cause mild irritation.
- Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
- Humectant for hydration and film formation; 1-5%, monitor microbial contamination
- Sucrose Dilaurate
- Mild O/W emulsifier and emollient; sensitive to hard water and pH; often auxiliary
- Sucrose Trilaurate
- Mild non-ionic surfactant and emulsifier; slight comedogenicity at high concentration; precipitates in hard water
- Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
- Water-soluble thickener; requires neutralizer, performs best at pH 5–7
- Isoceteth-20
- Not decoded yet
- Sodium Polyacrylate
- Superabsorbent resin, <1%; gels with electrolytes, ionic strength control required.
- Tocopherol
- Natural antioxidant (vitamin E) at 0.1–1%; prone to oxidation, store protected from light
- Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
- Synthetic fragrance providing fresh sweet note; as an EU 26 listed allergen, evaluate mandatory labeling based on total fragrance load.
- Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- Mild chelator replacing EDTA; water-soluble, very low irritation, stabilizes metal ions
- Malic Acid
- AHA for pH buffering; mild at low conc, risk at high, control pH & total acidity
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Mild conditioner and preservative booster at 0.5–1%; reduces preservative load, smooth feel
- Chlorphenesin
- Phenolic antimicrobial; strict EU limits apply, potential allergen, careful dosing required for leave-on products.
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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