What are the ingredients in Cetaphil body wash?

Ultra Gentle Sensitive Body Wash ingredients

The ingredient list is water, glycerin, sodium laureth sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, betaine, aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder, panthenol (vitamin B5), glycol distearate, lauryl lactate, acrylates/C10 to 30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, citric acid, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol, sodium citrate, laureth 4, hydrolyzed wheat protein, heliotropine, polyquaternium 10 and sodium hydroxide.1

Glycerin attracts water and helps retain moisture. Panthenol, also called provitamin B5, helps soothe skin and retain moisture. Aloe vera has soothing properties. Cetaphil describes the gel formula as cleansing without stripping natural moisture and helping maintain the skin's moisture barrier.1

Cetaphil labels this body wash fragrance free and paraben free. It is not sulfate free: sodium laureth sulfate appears in the ingredient list. Hydrolyzed wheat protein is also listed.1

What is Cetaphil Gentle Body Wash?

Ultra Gentle Sensitive Body Wash is a gel cleanser for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Cetaphil sells both a body wash and a face cleanser you can use on your body, so the bottle name does more work than the word "gentle".12

The US Gentle Skin Cleanser lists water, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol, panthenol, niacinamide, pantolactone, xanthan gum, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium benzoate and citric acid. Niacinamide is vitamin B3 and helps retain moisture. Choose this version if you want a creamy cleanser for normal to dry skin. Gentle Skin Cleanser is creamy and does not foam, so a lack of bubbles is not a performance review.2

Gentle Skin Cleanser can be used daily, morning and evening, with or without water. For body washing, apply it gently and rinse. Cetaphil cautions that this primarily facial cleanser can be less efficient for larger areas and less effective against heavy dirt or sweat than a body wash. Its moisturizing ingredients do not make it a replacement for moisturizer.2

Choose Gentle Cleansing Bar if you prefer a bar for both face and body. Its formula contains over one third moisturizing ingredients. To use it, wet your skin and hands, work the bar into a creamy lather and rinse. The bar's ingredient list includes masking fragrance, so do not treat it as interchangeable with the fragrance free body wash. Sodium tallowate is an animal derived ingredient identified by Cetaphil.34

How do you use the body wash?

1. 1Apply a liberal amount to moistened hands, a pouf or a washcloth.
2. 2Massage gently into a lather.
3. 3Rinse and pat dry.

For dry skin in your 60s and 70s, use warm rather than hot water and keep showers to 5 to 10 minutes. A soft cloth is preferable to a bath brush or buff puff, which can irritate skin. Leave a little water on your skin and apply a creamy, fragrance free moisturizer within three minutes. These are general bathing steps for dry skin, not special instructions for Cetaphil.5

What should you check before choosing a formula?

Fragrance can irritate dry skin, and "unscented" is not the same as fragrance free. For pregnancy or breastfeeding, Cetaphil's Canadian advice is to discuss product use with your healthcare professional because its products have not been specifically clinically tested in those groups. The Canadian FAQ also says Cetaphil does not test for trace gluten; if you have celiac disease, discuss suitability with your healthcare provider rather than assuming a gluten free status.45