cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
cetaphil Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar lists 26 ingredients on its label, 24 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.
- Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
- Stearic Acid
- Sodium Tallowate
- Sodium Cocoate
- Aqua
- Sodium Stearate
- Sodium Chloride
- Glycerin
- PEG-20
- Amyl Cinnamal
- Benzyl Benzoate
- Benzyl Salicylate
- Cinnamyl Alcohol
- Citronellol
- Geraniol
- Hydroxycitronellal
- Linalool
- Parfum
- Pentasodium Pentetate
- Petrolatum
- Sodium Ferrocyanide
- Sodium Isethionate
- Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate
- Sucrose Cocoate
- Tetrasodium Etidronate
- Titanium Dioxide
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of parabensFree of siliconesFree of sulfatesFree of formaldehyde releasersContains animal-derivedContains EU-26 allergensContains fragranceContains essential oilsContains mineral oil
Formulation view Soap-based cleansing bar using isethionates and fatty acid salts for lathering, buffered with mineral oil and glycerin for slip. Contains multiple fragrance allergens. Best for general cleansing with alkaline pH. Formulators mitigate soap's drying effect by incorporating emollients and glycerin, using inorganic salts to adjust hardness and foam stability for resilient skin types.
Key ingredients
- CLEANSING
- Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateStearic AcidSodium TallowateSodium CocoateSodium Stearate
- SOLVENT
- Aqua
- BULKING
- Sodium Chloride
- DENATURANT
- Glycerin
Other ingredients
PEG-20Amyl CinnamalBenzyl BenzoateBenzyl SalicylateCinnamyl AlcoholCitronellolGeraniolHydroxycitronellalLinaloolParfumPentasodium PentetatePetrolatumSodium FerrocyanideSodium IsethionateSodium Isostearoyl LactylateSucrose CocoateTetrasodium EtidronateTitanium Dioxide
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate | CLEANSING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Stearic Acid | CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, FRAGRANCE, REFATTING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Tallowate | CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 4 · 1 | Green |
| Sodium Cocoate | CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Aqua | SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Stearate | CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Chloride | BULKING, FRAGRANCE, ORAL CARE, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Glycerin | DENATURANT, HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, ORAL CARE, SKIN PROTECTING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| PEG-20 | Not decoded yet | — | — |
| Amyl Cinnamal | PERFUMING · 限制 III/67 | 1 · – | Yellow |
| Benzyl Benzoate | 附录 III · 限制 <empty>; as a constituent of other substances, or in mixtures, in concentrations equal to, or greater than 0.1% by weight; Shall not be placed on the market, or used, as substance or in mixtures in concentrations equal to ot greater than 0.1% by weight; Shall not be used as propellant in aerosols for any use. Aerosols dispenser containing the substance as propellant shall not be placed on the market | 0 · 0 | Yellow |
| Benzyl Salicylate | PERFUMING, LIGHT STABILIZER · 限制 III/75 | 0 · – | Yellow |
| Cinnamyl Alcohol | 附录 III · 限制 <empty>; as a constituent of other substances, or in mixtures, in concentrations equal to, or greater than 0.1% by weight; Shall not be placed on the market, or used, as substance or in mixtures in concentrations equal to ot greater than 0.1% by weight | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Citronellol | PERFUMING · 限制 III/86 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Geraniol | TONIC, PERFUMING · 限制 III/78 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Hydroxycitronellal | 附录 III · 最高浓度 (b) 1,0 % · 限制 <empty>; as a constituent of other substances, or in mixtures, in concentrations equal to, or greater than 0.1% by weight; Shall not be placed on the market, or used, as substance or in mixtures in concentrations equal to ot greater than 0.1% by weight; Shall not be used as propellant in aerosols for any use. Aerosols dispenser containing the substance as propellant shall not be placed on the market | 2 · – | Yellow |
| Linalool | DEODORANT, PERFUMING · 限制 III/84 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Parfum | FRAGRANCE, PERFUMING | 2 · 0 | Yellow |
| Pentasodium Pentetate | CHELATING · 限制 II / 1721 | 0 · – | Green |
| Petrolatum | ANTISTATIC, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT · 限制 II/904 (except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen) | 0 · 0 | Yellow |
| Sodium Ferrocyanide | ANTICAKING | — | Green |
| Sodium Isethionate | ANTISTATIC, CLEANSING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate | Not decoded yet | — | — |
| Sucrose Cocoate | ANTISTATIC, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Tetrasodium Etidronate | CHELATING, EMULSION STABILISING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING · 限制 III/53 | 0 · – | Green |
| Titanium Dioxide | UV FILTER · 附录 VI · 最高浓度 25%* *: In case of combined use of Titanium Dioxide and Titanium Dioxide (nano), the sum shall not exceed the limit given in column g (Maximum concentration in ready for use preparation) · 限制 <empty>; as a constituent of other substances, or in mixtures, in concentrations equal to, or greater than 0.1% by weight; Shall not be placed on the market, or used, as substance or in mixtures in concentrations equal to ot greater than 0.1% by weight; Shall not be used as propellant in aerosols for any use. Aerosols dispenser containing the substance as propellant shall not | 0 · 0 | Yellow |
Ingredients explained
- Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
- Mild cleanser with rich lather and low irritation; hygroscopic, requires moisture-resistant packaging
- Stearic Acid
- Fatty acid emulsifier, white waxy solid; adds slip feel
- Sodium Tallowate
- Animal-derived soap, strong degreasing; harsh foam dries skin, needs softeners, caution for sensitive/eczema skin, verify source compliance
- Sodium Cocoate
- Sodium cocoate, mild cleanser; 1–5% typical, high % irritation, sensitive skin
- Aqua
- Solvent, main base; microbial control is critical
- Sodium Stearate
- Sodium stearate, soap-based anionic surfactant for cleansing and emulsifying; alkaline, caution for sensitive skin
- Sodium Chloride
- Salt for gel viscosity control; used as precipitant in soaps
- Glycerin
- Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives
- PEG-20
- Not decoded yet
- Amyl Cinnamal
- Fragrance ingredient restricted in the EU; usage limits apply to minimize allergic contact dermatitis risk.
- Benzyl Benzoate
- Chelating agent for stability; restricted substance, not permitted as single component or in mixtures at ≥0.1%.
- Benzyl Salicylate
- UV absorber/light stabilizer, restricted in EU; potential sensitizer, risk assessment needed.
- Cinnamyl Alcohol
- Restricted fragrance in EU; banned at ≥0.1%; used in trace amounts or as precursor.
- Citronellol
- Citronellol for fragrance; EU 26 allergen, labeling required above 0.001%.
- Geraniol
- Geraniol for fragrance; EU 26 allergen, labeling required above 0.001%.
- Hydroxycitronellal
- Hydroxycitronellal, sensitizing fragrance, EU limit <0.1%; avoid use as aerosol propellant.
- Linalool
- Natural fragrance component at ≤0.05%; one of EU 26 allergens, caution for sensitive skin
- Parfum
- Fragrance for scent; may contain allergens, caution for sensitive skin, full labeling required.
- Pentasodium Pentetate
- Gentle chelator replacing EDTA; prevents oxidation discoloration, low dosage
- Petrolatum
- Mineral oil occlusive and antistatic; requires full refining history to ensure absence of potential carcinogens.
- Sodium Ferrocyanide
- Anti-corrosive for metals, not for cosmetics; prohibited in cosmetics, likely labeling error or non-cosmetic item
- Sodium Isethionate
- Mild surfactant with low foam but good cleaning; ideal for sensitive-skin cleansers.
- Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate
- Not decoded yet
- Sucrose Cocoate
- Non-ionic surfactant, gentle emulsifier, plant-derived, low comedogenic.
- Tetrasodium Etidronate
- Chelating agent, stabilizer, restricted use, concentration dependent.
- Titanium Dioxide
- Physical UV filter and colorant up to 25%; nano form requires attention
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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