Surfactants

Surfactants are cleansing agents that allow water and oil to mix, surrounding dirt and debris so they can be rinsed away. They range from harsh (sodium lauryl sulfate) to very gentle (coco-glucoside), and the choice of surfactant largely determines whether a cleanser will strip or respect the skin barrier.

73 ingredients
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HumectantsEmollientsAntioxidantsPeptidesExfoliantsSoothing IngredientsOcclusivesBrighteningSurfactantsBarrier RepairBotanical ExtractsPreservatives
aluminum sulfate
Safe
care ingredient.
ammonium laureth sulfate
Safe
mild surfactant.
ammonium lauryl sulfate
Safe
mild surfactant.
barium sulfate
Safe
cosmetic pigment.
behentrimonium methosulfate
Safe
mild surfactant.
bis-peg-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane
Safe
deep moisturizer, emollient (softens skin), mild surfactant.
cocamide dea
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier, viscosity regulator.
cocamide mea
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier, viscosity regulator.
cocamide mipa
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier, viscosity regulator.
cocamidopropyl dimethylamine
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine
Safe
mild surfactant, viscosity regulator.
coco-caprylate
Safe
emollient (softens skin).
coco-caprylate/caprate
Safe
emollient (softens skin).
coco-glucoside
Safe
mild surfactant.
copper sulfate
Safe
care ingredient.
decyl glucoside
Safe
mild surfactant.
dilauryl citrate
Safe
emollient (softens skin).
disodium cocoyl glutamate
Safe
mild surfactant.
disodium ethylene dicocamide peg-15 disulfate
Safe
mild surfactant.
disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
Safe
mild surfactant.
disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate
Safe
mild surfactant.
hydrogenated c6-14 olefin polymers
Safe
safe emollient, softens skin and regulates product viscosity.
hydrogenated c6-20 polyolefin
Safe
viscosity regulator.
hydrogenated coco-glycerides
Safe
emollient (softens skin).
hydrogenated poly(c6-14 olefin)
Safe
emollient (softens skin), viscosity regulator.
inulin lauryl carbamate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
laureth-23
Risk
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
laureth-3
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
laureth-4
Risk
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
laureth-7
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
lauryl alcohol
Safe
emollient (softens skin), texture emulsifier, viscosity regulator.
lauryl glucoside
Safe
mild surfactant.
lauryl hydroxysultaine
Safe
mild surfactant, viscosity regulator.
lauryl methacrylate/glycol dimethacrylate crosspolymer
Safe
caring ingredient.
lauryl peg/ppg-18/18 methicone
Safe
conditioning ingredient.
magnesium sulfate
Safe
viscosity regulator.
methoxy peg-22/dodecyl glycol copolymer
Safe
viscosity regulator.
peg-10
Safe
deep moisturizer, formula solvent.
peg-10 isostearate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
peg-10 phytosterol⁠
Safe
texture emulsifier.
peg-100 stearate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
peg-150 pentaerythrityl tetrastearate
Safe
texture emulsifier.
peg-20 glyceryl triisostearate
Safe
emollient (softens skin), texture emulsifier.
peg-240/hdi copolymer bis-decyltetradeceth-20 ether
Safe
viscosity regulator.
peg-30 dipolyhydroxystearate
Safe
texture emulsifier.
peg-40 stearate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
peg-45m
Safe
deep moisturizer.
peg-5 rapeseed sterol
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
peg-6 methyl ether
Safe
formula solvent.
peg-60
Safe
deep moisturizer, formula solvent.
peg-60 almond glycerides
Safe
texture emulsifier.
peg-7 glyceryl cocoate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
peg-75 stearate
Safe
mild surfactant.
peg-8
Safe
deep moisturizer, formula solvent.
peg-8 isostearate
Safe
texture emulsifier.
peg-8 laurate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
peg-90m
Safe
viscosity regulator.
potassium laureth phosphate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
ppg-1-peg-9 lauryl glycol ether
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate
Safe
mild surfactant.
sodium cocoyl alaninate
Safe
mild surfactant.
sodium cocoyl glutamate
Safe
mild surfactant.
sodium cocoyl glycinate
Safe
mild surfactant.
sodium cocoyl isethionate
Safe
mild surfactant.
sodium dextran sulfate
Safe
viscosity regulator.
sodium hydroxypropylsulfonate laurylglucoside crosspolymer
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
sodium laureth sulfate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
Safe
mild surfactant.
sodium sulfate
Safe
viscosity regulator.
steareth-100/peg-136/hdi copolymer
Safe
viscosity regulator.
steartrimonium methosulfate
Safe
caring ingredient.
tribehenin peg-20 esters
Safe
emollient (softens skin), mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.
trilaureth-4 phosphate
Safe
mild surfactant, texture emulsifier.