Claims vs. Reality
Enriched with Panthenol and Glycerin - the ultimate hydration boost for a refreshed look. Specially formulated with a unique blend of 7 types of ceramides, fatty acids, and natural moisturising factors, this moisturiser not only hydrates, but also fortifies your skin barrier. Perfect for daily use, the lightweight and cooling gel texture soothes irritated skin while quickly absorbing into the skin without any greasy residue.
A structural masterpiece in mass-market balancing cleansers. Rohto Mentholatum masterfully eliminates aggressive sodium lauryl sulfate detergents, deploying ultra-mild amino acid surfactant bases (Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate and Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate) that naturally map close to a skin-identical physiological pH of 5.5. Re-fortified with five distinct molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid (including super HA and biomimetic fermented HA), it wraps cells inside a rich, thick conditioning lather. It lifts daytime sweat and environmental dirt easily without dissolving or leaching out the vital intercellular lipid bricks. It leaves an absolute zero-tightness dewy finish.
The Reality: The multi-weight hyaluronate matrix actively binds to outer corneum gaps during the washing process, ensuring skin hydration constants increase post-rinse cleanly.
The Reality: This is an ultra-mild, water-soluble sensitive cream wash. It lacks the intense lipophilic solvent power required to dissolve thick waterproof silicone waxes cleanly. A double-cleansing oil step must be deployed beforehand entirely.
The Reality: Bypasses all synthetic perfumes, masking scents, and volatile essential oils, demonstrating a near-zero chemical irritancy score under clinical patch parameters.
👍 Formulator Pros
- Perfect physiological pH 5.5 baseline prevents the destruction of fundamental skin mantle shields.
- Incorporates five separate weights of Hyaluronic Acid to maximize post-wash softness metrics smoothly.
- Luxurious, creamy foam glide lowers physical friction markers significantly across sensitive skin surfaces.
👎 Potential Downsides
- Lacks active exfoliating chemical acids like BHA, meaning it does not directly dissolve hardened deep blackhead plugs alone.
- The dense cream texture requires thorough rinsing with tap water to ensure zero surfactant residues remain over cells.
- The pump mechanism can collect minor water residues if stored directly inside wet shower enclosures.
Is This Right for You?
Verify this formulation matches your specific skin profile before buying.
| Sensitive & Allergic Layouts | ✅ Yes | The minimalist amino-acid INCI string eliminates trace allergen entry paths completely. |
| Chronically Dry & Dehydrated Skin | ✅ Yes | Maintains an optimized physiological pH of 5.5 to stop immediate post-wash moisture depletion loops. |
| Teens (13-19) | ✅ Yes | An incredibly safe, non-irritating wash to preserve skin health during adolescent active treatments safely. |
| Waterproof Stage Cosmetics (Single step) | ❌ No | The mild non-sulfate surfactants will not break down high-performance film-forming cosmetic lattices alone without a first-step oil. |
✅ Perfect Match
❌ Better Avoid
How It Feels & Absorbs
How to Layer It
Step placement, ingredient interactions, and what to expect over time.
If you are dealing with an intense eczema flare-up or your skin is burning from using too many harsh chemical peels, do not rinse this cleanser off with freezing cold or steaming hot tap water. Instead, massage the rich lather cream onto your face gently, let it sit over your skin layout for 1 minute like a soothing compress mask, and gently wipe it away using a clean, damp microfiber cloth. This eliminates water friction indicators completely.
Can Combine With
Enemies — Do Not Mix
⏳ Timeline Expectations
Inside the Bottle
Heroes and formulation notes — not just the raw INCI list. Hover chips for details.
Works like a sponge to bind water to your skin, providing lasting plumpness.
Full Formula Scan
Automatically parsed and cross-referenced with the Glowwe Lab database.
| # | Ingredient | What It Does | Safety | Irr / Com |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Water Solvent | Base solvent. | Safe | 0 / 0 |
| 02 | Panthenol Hydrator / Humectant | Pro-Vitamin B5; incredible for quenching skin irritation. | Safe | 0 / 0 |
| 03 | Propanediol Hydrator / Humectant | The natural, skin-friendly alternative to Propylene Glycol. | Safe | 0 / 0 |
| 04 | 1 Pending Data | Awaiting lab classification. | Unknown | - / - |
| 05 | 2-Hexanediol Pending Data | Awaiting lab classification. | Unknown | - / - |
| 06 | Pentylene Glycol Hydrator / Humectant | A conditioning agent that dual-acts to preserve freshness. | Safe | 0 / 0 |
Common Questions
What the community asks most — answered with formulation facts.
Why does it not foam up like an old-school bar soap?+
Traditional cleansers use harsh chemical sulfates (like SLS or SLES) to generate huge, aggressive bubbles. However, those same sulfates act like industrial detergents—stripping away your skin's natural protective lipid bricks and leaving your face raw and pulling tight. Hada Labo replaces sulfates with ultra-gentle amino acid surfactants, which create a soft, cushioning lotion-like slip that lifts grime cleanly while leaving your lipid barrier 100% untouched.
Is this cleanser completely fragrance-free?+
Yes, 100%. It contains absolutely zero added synthetic artificial perfumes, masking scents, or volatile essential oils. This provides a completely quiet, non-reactive cosmetic profile explicitly engineered to prevent contact allergies on highly sensitive, eczematous skin landscapes safely.
Is it safe for fungal acne (Malassezia)?+
Yes, 100%. This minimalist formula avoids all plant lipids, free fatty acids, and triggering esters entirely, making it completely safe for fungal acne skin profiles.
What is the actual pH level of this cleanser?+
It is mapped precisely at a skin-friendly physiological pH of 5.5. Keeping your wash step acidic prevents your acid mantle structure from collapsing, directly slowing down acne bacteria reproduction while keeping your skin barrier flora shields strong.
Can it remove waterproof sunscreens or liquid foundations?+
No. Gentle, soap-free low-pH cleansers lack the raw lipophilic solvent power to cut through modern water-resistant sports sun mists or long-wear base cosmetics cleanly. Always deploy a micellar water or cleansing oil first before using this gel.
Does it contain parabens?+
No. Hada Labo has engineered this formula to be 100% paraben-free, utilizing Sodium Benzoate and Phenoxyethanol as modern stabilizers for broad-spectrum microbial preservation inside the tube cleanly.
Can I use it if my skin is stinging and burning from over-exfoliation?+
Yes! The formulation is packed with pure amino-acid vectors and multi-weight Hyaluronic Acid. These soothing agents act instantly to damp down raw nerve endings and extinguish burning sensations while the mild surfactants wash away surface impurities with zero stingings.
Is it suitable for morning AM cleansing?+
Yes, it is highly recommended. It clears away overnight sweat and sebum gently without leaching your native skin lipids away early, keeping your barrier beautifully prepped for daytime sun protection.
What is Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate inside this wash?+
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate is an elite, high-performance amino acid surfactant derived naturally from coconut fatty acids and glycine. It generates a rich, creamy lather that efficiently gathers surface soils without swelling or damaging the delicate stratum corneum tissue sheets smoothly.
How much product should I use per wash?+
Squeeze a dime-sized amount of cream foam into your damp palms, rub your hands together to generate the low-friction bubbles, and massage it gently across your face landscape for 30 full seconds before rinsing cleanly with lukewarm tap water.