The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

Editor's Take

The Ordinary keeps this one refreshingly sensible: squalane does the cleansing, sucrose esters handle the rinse, and skin is left comfortable rather than squeaky.

Four-pillar formula scores

• Performance: 7.8 / 10
• Innovative Ingredients: 7.0 / 10
• Clean Standards: 8.0 / 10
• Formula Sustainability: 9.4 / 10

The Verdict

The squalane-rich base loosens daily grime while glycerin helps keep the finish cushioned, not stripped. Sucrose esters give it an easy milky rinse, with modern gel stabilizers keeping the balm dependable in the tube. The trade-off is a supporting cast of synthetic polymers and ethoxylated Isoceteth-20, so it falls short of strict natural certification despite strong overall sustainability. A credible everyday cleanse for dry or barrier-conscious skin.

Is The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser clean?

DARE scores The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser by The Ordinary 8.0 / 10 on Clean Standards, the human-health pillar of the Formulation Architecture Model™. That reading comes from the published INCI list read as a system — preservative, fragrance and surfactant choices in context — not from flagging single ingredients in isolation.

What are the key ingredients in The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser?

The formula leads with Squalane, Aqua, Coco-caprylate/caprate, Glycerin, Sucrose Stearate, Ethyl Macadamiate. DARE reads the full INCI list below in order, so position and pairing shape how each ingredient contributes under Performance and Innovative Ingredients.

How does DARE score The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser?

Under the Formulation Architecture Model™, The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser by The Ordinary scores Performance 7.8 / 10, Clean Standards 8.0 / 10, Innovative Ingredients 7.0 / 10, and Formula Sustainability 9.4 / 10. Each pillar is scored from the finished formula rather than from isolated ingredient flags.

Read the Formulation Architecture Model™ →

DARE vs single-ingredient apps like Yuka →

Full INCI 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.