cetaphil Soothing Foam Wash
cetaphil Cetaphil Soothing Foam Wash lists 25 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.
- Aqua
- Glycerin
- Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
- Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
- PEG-75
- Citric Acid
- Allantoin
- Caffeine
- Carbomer
- Ceramide AP
- Ceramide EOP
- Ceramide NP
- Cholesterol
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
- Disodium EDTA
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- Phenoxyethanol
- Phytosphingosine
- Propylene Glycol
- Saccharide Isomerate
- Sodium Benzoate
- Sodium Citrate
- Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- Xanthan Gum
Highlights
Free of alcoholFree of fragranceFree of parabensFree of siliconesFree of sulfatesFree of essential oilsFree of formaldehyde releasersContains animal-derivedContains mineral oilContains PEG
Key ingredients
- SOLVENT
- Aqua
- DENATURANT
- Glycerin
- CLEANSING
- Sodium Cocoyl GlutamateSodium Cocoamphoacetate
- BUFFERING
- Citric Acid
- SKIN CONDITIONING
- AllantoinCaffeine
- EMULSION STABILISING
- Carbomer
Other ingredients
PEG-75Ceramide APCeramide EOPCeramide NPCholesterolDipotassium GlycyrrhizateDisodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerinPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPhenoxyethanolPhytosphingosinePropylene GlycolSaccharide IsomerateSodium BenzoateSodium CitrateSodium Lauroyl LactylateXanthan Gum
Skim through
| Ingredient | What it does | Irr. · Com. | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua | SOLVENT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Glycerin | DENATURANT, HAIR CONDITIONING, HUMECTANT, ORAL CARE, SKIN PROTECTING, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate | CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Cocoamphoacetate | CLEANSING, FOAMING, HAIR CONDITIONING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · 0 | Green |
| PEG-75 | Not decoded yet | — | — |
| Citric Acid | BUFFERING, CHELATING, FRAGRANCE | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Allantoin | SKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN PROTECTING, SOOTHING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Caffeine | SKIN CONDITIONING, PERFUMING, FRAGRANCE | 0 · – | Green |
| Carbomer | EMULSION STABILISING, GEL FORMING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ceramide AP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ceramide EOP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ceramide NP | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Cholesterol | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, LIGHT STABILIZER, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate | HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Disodium EDTA | CHELATING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | DEODORANT, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING | 1 · 2 | Green |
| Phenoxyethanol | ANTIMICROBIAL, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/29 | 1 · 0 | Yellow |
| Phytosphingosine | HAIR CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Propylene Glycol | HUMECTANT, FRAGRANCE, SOLVENT, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING, SKIN CONDITIONING - HUMECTANT, SKIN CONDITIONING - MISCELLANEOUS | 1 · 0 | Green |
| Saccharide Isomerate | HUMECTANT | 0 · – | Green |
| Sodium Benzoate | ANTICORROSIVE, FRAGRANCE, PRESERVATIVE · 限制 V/1 | 0 · – | Yellow |
| Sodium Citrate | BUFFERING, CHELATING, FRAGRANCE | 0 · 0 | Green |
| Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate | SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING | 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
- Glycerin
- Workhorse humectant at 3–10%; tacky at high levels, pair with occlusives
- Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
- Amino acid surfactant, gentle cleansing; rich foam, may sting eyes, good compatibility.
- Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
- Mild amphoteric surfactant at 0.5–5%; low irritation, suitable for sensitive skin, often paired with anionics.
- PEG-75
- Not decoded yet
- Citric Acid
- Buffer and chelator at 0.1–2%; adjusts pH, may irritate sensitive skin at low pH
- Allantoin
- Skin soother at 0.5-2%; promotes cell regeneration
- Caffeine
- Active ingredient, 0.1–2%; promotes circulation, irritation risk at high concentration.
- Carbomer
- Gelling thickener requiring neutralization; watch out for ion compatibility
- Ceramide AP
- Ceramide analog for barrier repair; best results when combined with cholesterol and free fatty acids
- Ceramide EOP
- Ceramide EOP, repairs skin barrier lipids; often blended with cholesterol and fatty acids.
- Ceramide NP
- Ceramide N3 for barrier repair; lipophilic, needs oil phase or emulsion, avoid high standalone use.
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol; barrier repair lipid mimicking stratum corneum; often blended with ceramides, plant or fermentation source.
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
- Dipotassium glycyrrhizinate for moisturizing/soothing; inhibits 5-LOX, water-soluble, for sensitive skin.
- Disodium EDTA
- Chelating agent at 0.05–0.5%; sequesters metal ions for stability, boosts preservative efficacy
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Mild conditioner and preservative booster at 0.5–1%; reduces preservative load, smooth feel
- PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- Solubilizer and emulsifier for oil-soluble ingredients; high concentrations may cause contact dermatitis in sensitive skin.
- Phenoxyethanol
- Broad-spectrum preservative at ≤1%; may irritate sensitive eye areas, often paired with ethylhexylglycerin
- Phytosphingosine
- Phytosphingosine barrier repair ingredient, 0.1–1%; water-soluble, good for dry skin.
- Propylene Glycol
- Polyol humectant at 3-10%; hygroscopic, slight tackiness, mild irritation at high conc., verify preservative efficacy, no allergen.
- Saccharide Isomerate
- Novel polyol humectant with skin feel improvement; high hydration, suitable for lightweight formulas.
- Sodium Benzoate
- Preservative booster, effective below pH 4.5; combinable with sorbates
- Sodium Citrate
- Sodium citrate for buffering and chelating; adjust pH, careful with strong acid reactions.
- Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- Mild emulsifier at 1–5%; suitable for sensitive skin, mind cationic surfactant compatibility
- 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 2026-09-19. Ratings are our internal reading, not a regulatory conclusion. · Product page
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