All scans / Cleansers / The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser ingredients: is it worth it?
Good cleanser, nothing more: it removes makeup and grime gently, but the “hydrating” claim is mostly just the rinse-off feel of an emollient-rich base.
Good cleanser, nothing more: it removes makeup and grime gently, but the “hydrating” claim is mostly just the rinse-off feel of an emollient-rich base.
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The efficacy score is driven by a mild, non-stripping cleansing system built around oils/esters and sucrose-based surfactants, plus humectants like glycerin and hydrogenated starch hydrolysate; it does not earn extra credit for antioxidants or malic acid because this is a rinse-off format and those are unlikely to deliver meaningful lasting skin benefits.
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DemythSkin rates The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 3.5/5 for efficacy and 4.7/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (7)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Squalane, Aqua (Water), Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Sucrose Stearate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose Laurate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Sucrose Dilaurate, Sucrose Trilaurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Isoceteth-20, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tocopherol, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Malic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (20)⌄
- Squalane
- emollient cleansing base
- Aqua (Water)
- solvent
- Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
- light emollient
- Glycerin
- humectant
- Sucrose Stearate
- surfactant/emulsifier
- Ethyl Macadamiate
- emollient
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- emollient
- Sucrose Laurate
- surfactant/emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
- humectant
- Sucrose Dilaurate
- surfactant/emulsifier
- Sucrose Trilaurate
- surfactant/emulsifier
- Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
- viscosity modifier
- Isoceteth-20
- solubilizer
- Sodium Polyacrylate
- thickener
- Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
- antioxidant
- Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- chelating agent
- Malic Acid
- pH adjuster
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative booster
- Chlorphenesin
- preservative
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Squalane: Emollient oil-phase cleanser base; supports makeup dissolution and reduces stripping feel.
Glycerin: Well-established humectant that helps reduce moisture loss during cleansing.
Sucrose-based surfactants: Mild cleansing agents that support removal of impurities with lower irritation potential than harsh sulfates.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser: common questions
Is The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser worth it?
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser scores 3.5 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Modest) and 4.7 out of 5.0 for safety (Very Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. Good cleanser, nothing more: it removes makeup and grime gently, but the “hydrating” claim is mostly just the rinse-off feel of an emollient-rich base.
What are the key active ingredients in The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser?
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser contains no gold-standard actives. Its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.
Does The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser. It scores 4.7 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
Free scores for every product in the database, or see them on Sephora, Ulta and Amazon with the Chrome extension.