cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser
cetaphil Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating 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.
- Aqua
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
- Glycerin
- Coco-Glucoside
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
- Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
- Citric Acid
- Heliotropine
- Panthenol
- Parfum
- Phenoxyethanol
- Polyquaternium-10
- Sodium Benzoate
- Sodium Chloride
- Sodium Citrate
- Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
- Sodium Hydroxide
- Tocopheryl Acetate
- Xanthan Gum
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of parabensFree of siliconesFree of sulfatesFree of mineral oilFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasersContains EU-26 allergensContains fragrance
Key ingredients
- SOLVENT
- Aqua
- ANTISTATIC
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- CLEANSING
- Disodium CocoamphodiacetateCoco-Glucoside
- DENATURANT
- Glycerin
- EMULSION STABILISING
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
- SKIN CONDITIONING
- Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
- BUFFERING
- Citric Acid
Other ingredients
HeliotropinePanthenolParfumPhenoxyethanolPolyquaternium-10Sodium BenzoateSodium ChlorideSodium CitrateSodium CocoamphoacetateSodium HydroxideTocopheryl AcetateXanthan Gum
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua | SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Cocamidopropyl Betaine | ANTISTATIC, CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate | CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - HYDROTROPE, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Glycerin | DENATURANT, HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, ORAL CARE, SKIN PROTECTING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Coco-Glucoside | CLEANSING, FOAMING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer | EMULSION STABILISING, FILM FORMING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract | SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · – | Green |
| Citric Acid | BUFFERING, CHELATING, FRAGRANCE | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Heliotropine | Not decoded yet | — | — |
| Panthenol | ANTISTATIC, HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Parfum | FRAGRANCE, PERFUMING | 2 · 0 | Yellow |
| Phenoxyethanol | ANTIMICROBIAL, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/29 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Polyquaternium-10 | ANTISTATIC, FILM FORMING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Benzoate | ANTICORROSIVE, FRAGRANCE, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/1 | 0 · – | Yellow |
| Sodium Chloride | BULKING, FRAGRANCE, ORAL CARE, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Citrate | BUFFERING, CHELATING, FRAGRANCE | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Cocoamphoacetate | CLEANSING, FOAMING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Hydroxide | BUFFERING, DENATURANT · 限制 III/15a | 3 · – | Green |
| Tocopheryl Acetate | ANTIOXIDANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Xanthan Gum | BINDING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, GEL FORMING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
Ingredients explained
- Aqua
- Solvent, main base; microbial control is critical
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- Cocamidopropyl betaine; zwitterionic co-surfactant reducing irritation and boosting foam, common in mild cleansers.
- Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
- Amphoteric surfactant for cleansing and foam boosting; milder than sulfates, low comedogenic risk.
- Glycerin
- Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives
- Coco-Glucoside
- Mild non-ionic surfactant for cleansing and foaming; rich foam, low irritation, suitable for sensitive and children's products
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
- Crosspolymer for thickening/film; needs neutralization to pH 7-8 to hydrate, check ion strength.
- Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
- Bamboo stem extract; low-concentration skin conditioner, no significant irritancy data.
- Citric Acid
- Buffer and chelator at 0.1–2%; adjusts pH, may irritate sensitive skin at low pH
- Heliotropine
- Not decoded yet
- Panthenol
- Panthenol (vitamin B5) at 1–5%; moisturizing and reparative, supports barrier recovery
- Parfum
- Fragrance for scent; may contain allergens, caution for sensitive skin, full labeling required.
- Phenoxyethanol
- Broad-spectrum preservative at ≤1%; may irritate sensitive eye areas, often paired with ethylhexylglycerin
- Polyquaternium-10
- Cationic polymer for fabric or hair smoothness; generally low irritation but may conflict with other cationic actives
- Sodium Benzoate
- Preservative booster, effective below pH 4.5; combinable with sorbates
- Sodium Chloride
- Salt for gel viscosity control; used as precipitant in soaps
- Sodium Citrate
- Sodium citrate for buffering and chelating; adjust pH, careful with strong acid reactions.
- Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
- Mild amphoteric surfactant at 0.5–5%; low irritation, suitable for sensitive skin, often paired with anionics.
- Sodium Hydroxide
- Strong base neutralizer for pH adjustment; handle with extreme care
- Tocopheryl Acetate
- Vitamin E derivative antioxidant at 0.1–1%; more stable than tocopherol, store protected from light
- Xanthan Gum
- Natural thickener at 0.1–1%; provides gel texture, pH-stable, requires full hydration
Source: full ingredient list published on the product label, collected 2026-09-20. Ratings are our internal reading, not a regulatory conclusion. · Product page
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