cerave Micellar Cleansing Water
cerave CeraVe Micellar Cleansing Water lists 19 ingredients on its label, 18 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 fragranceFree of parabensFree of siliconesFree of sulfatesFree of mineral oilFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasersContains animal-derived
Key ingredients
- 溶剂
- Aqua/Water
- DENATURANT
- Glycerin
- SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING
- Hexylene GlycolSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- CLEANSING
- Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
- CHELATING
- Disodium EDTA
- SMOOTHING
- Niacinamide
- PRESERVATIVE
- Polyaminopropyl Biguanide
Other ingredients
Poloxamer 184BHTCeramide NPPhenoxyethanolCeramide APPhytosphingosineCholesterolXanthan GumCarbomerEthylhexylglycerinCeramide EOP
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua/Water | 溶剂 | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Glycerin | DENATURANT, HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, ORAL CARE, SKIN PROTECTING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Hexylene Glycol | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SOLVENT, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, PERFUMING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Poloxamer 184 | Not decoded yet | — | — |
| Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate | CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - HYDROTROPE, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Disodium EDTA | CHELATING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Niacinamide | SMOOTHING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Polyaminopropyl Biguanide | PRESERVATIVE | 0 · 0 | Yellow |
| Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| BHT | ANTIOXIDANT, FRAGRANCE · 限制 III / 325 | 0 · 0 | Yellow |
| Ceramide NP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Phenoxyethanol | ANTIMICROBIAL, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/29 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Ceramide AP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Phytosphingosine | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Cholesterol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, LIGHT STABILIZER, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Xanthan Gum | BINDING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, GEL FORMING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Carbomer | EMULSION STABILISING, GEL FORMING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | DEODORANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ceramide EOP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
Ingredients explained
- Aqua/Water
- Solvent, formulation base; requires preservation, pure water is microbially prone.
- Glycerin
- Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives
- Hexylene Glycol
- Polyol solvent and humectant with penetration enhancement; limit concentration to avoid irritation, no specific allergen tag
- Poloxamer 184
- Not decoded yet
- Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
- Amphoteric surfactant for cleansing and foam boosting; milder than sulfates, low comedogenic risk.
- Disodium EDTA
- Chelating agent at 0.05–0.5%; sequesters metal ions for stability, boosts preservative efficacy
- Niacinamide
- Niacinamide at 2–5%; improves texture, controls oil, brightens; high levels may cause sensitivity
- Polyaminopropyl Biguanide
- Active preservative Polyaminopropyl Biguanide; effective at low levels, broad-spectrum, avoid anionic surfactants.
- Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- Mild emulsifier at 1–5%; suitable for sensitive skin, mind cationic surfactant compatibility
- BHT
- Lipophilic antioxidant at 0.01-0.05%; ineffective with acidic systems, label-sensitive, check regulatory limits as preservative alternative.
- Ceramide NP
- Ceramide N3 for barrier repair; lipophilic, needs oil phase or emulsion, avoid high standalone use.
- Phenoxyethanol
- Broad-spectrum preservative at ≤1%; may irritate sensitive eye areas, often paired with ethylhexylglycerin
- Ceramide AP
- Ceramide analog for barrier repair; best results when combined with cholesterol and free fatty acids
- Phytosphingosine
- Phytosphingosine barrier repair ingredient, 0.1–1%; water-soluble, good for dry skin.
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol; barrier repair lipid mimicking stratum corneum; often blended with ceramides, plant or fermentation source.
- Xanthan Gum
- Natural thickener at 0.1–1%; provides gel texture, pH-stable, requires full hydration
- Carbomer
- Gelling thickener requiring neutralization; watch out for ion compatibility
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Mild conditioner and preservative booster at 0.5–1%; reduces preservative load, smooth feel
- Ceramide EOP
- Ceramide EOP, repairs skin barrier lipids; often blended with cholesterol and fatty acids.
Source: full ingredient list published on the product label, collected 2026-09-20. Ratings are our internal reading, not a regulatory conclusion. · Product page
Want to build one like this? Send an enquiry