Amino-Acid Surfactant Systems in Mild Cleansers: A 2026 12-Product INCI Comparison

Brand

• Round Lab
• Illiyoon
• Etude House
• Pyunkang Yul
• COSRX
• PURE'AM
• Then I Met You
• Then I Met You
• La Roche-Posay
• CeraVe
• First Aid Beauty
• Vanicream

Product

• 1025 Dokdo Cleanser
• Ceramide Derma Amino Cleansing Foam
• SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser
• Low pH Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
• Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
• Amino Acid Mild Cleanser
• Living Cleansing Balm
• Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel
• Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
• Hydrating Facial Cleanser
• Ultra Gentle Pure Skin Face Cleanser
• Gentle Facial Cleanser

Inci list

• Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Potassium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-67, Potassium Cocoate, Citric Acid, Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Disodium EDTA, Pullulan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sea Water, Sodium Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beta-Glucan, Phosphatidylcholine, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide NP, Glycine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lysine, Alanine, Arginine, Threonine, Proline
• Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Arachidyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Glucose, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Glycine Max (Soybean) Oil, Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopherol, Canola Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
• Water, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Propanediol, Lauryl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Madecassoside, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
• Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Coconut Acid, Polyquaternium-67, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Litsea Cubeba (May Chang) Fruit/Oil, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Vigna (Phaseolus) Angularis Seed Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Diatomaceous Earth, Isopropyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
• Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Styrax Japonicus Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid, Ethyl Hexanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA
• Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Chloride, Salicylic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Allantoin, Trehalose, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Artemisia Princeps Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids, Hexylene Glycol, Taraxacum Officinale Leaf Extract, Glucose, Lactobacillus Ferment Filtrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Bifida Ferment Filtrate
• Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-8 Isostearate, Microcrystalline Wax, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Ceresin, Synthetic Wax, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Limonene
• Water/Aqua/Eau, Rice Ferment Filtrate (Sake), Glycerin, Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Sorbitol, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Diglycerin, Potassium Cocoate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Gluconolactone, Citric Acid, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Thuja Occidentalis Leaf Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Extract, Polyglycerin-3, Dextrin, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, T-Butyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Maltitol
• Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Propanediol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polysorbate 60, Ceramide NP, Niacinamide, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Betaine, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Chlorphenesin
• Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin
• Aqua/Water/Eau, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Stearyl Alcohol, Allantoin, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium PCA, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Maltodextrin, Tetrasodium EDTA
• Water, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Mica, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA

Formula notes

• Surfactant system - Anionic: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Potassium Cocoate (fatty-acid soap). Amphoteric: Coco-Betaine. Nonionic: none. Sulfate: none present. pH: brand publishes 5.0–6.0 on its official site (roundlab.com, primary-brand-record). Fragrance/EO: no Parfum/Fragrance term; contains Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, a botanical oil - an aromatic ingredient but not labeled fragrance. Format: dense cream that becomes a light foam on contact with water ('cream-to-foam').
• EDITOR NOTE: the originally requested name 'Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream Foam' does not exist as a SKU - 'Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream' is a leave-on moisturizer with no surfactants at all. Substituted with Illiyoon's real, internationally distributed amino-acid cleanser. Surfactant system - Anionic: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate. Amphoteric: Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate. Nonionic: Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Arachidyl Glucoside. Sulfate: none present. pH: no exact brand-published figure found on illiyoon.com; Korean retail listings (Hwahae, Musinsa, Danawa - retailer class) tag it '약산성(pH 6.5 이하)' ('weakly acidic, ≤6.5'), which reads as a retail category tag, not a lab-issued number - flagged as such, not reported as a precise brand value. Fragrance/EO: no generic Parfum/Fragrance term, but contains Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil, a named essential oil. Format: cleansing foam. Sourcing caveat: full INCI corroborated only via a retailer page recovered through a search-engine cache (direct fetch was Cloudflare-blocked) - moderate confidence.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate. Amphoteric: none. Nonionic: Lauryl Glucoside. Sulfate: none present. pH: brand publishes 6.5 directly - it is embedded in the product name itself and repeated in brand copy (etudehouse.com official product page, primary-brand-record; cross-checked at Soko Glam, retailer). Fragrance/EO: brand states 'free of fragrance'; no Parfum or named essential oil in the INCI. Format: 'whip' cleanser dispensed pre-whipped as a soft microfoam from a pump, used as a second-cleanse step.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate (Sodium Isethionate is a related minor co-product salt, ambiguous as a primary surfactant). Amphoteric: none. Nonionic: none. Sulfate: none present (Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate is chemically distinct from sulfates despite name similarity to SLS). pH: NO numeric pH published anywhere found - the brand's own official site (pyunkangyul.com, primary-brand-record) uses only the marketing phrase 'low pH'/'약산성' with no figure. Unofficial third-party measurements conflict (one reviewer measured ~pH 7 neutral; a community ingredient site shows ~5.5) - both are community/secondary sources and are explicitly NOT used as verified fact. Fragrance/EO: no Parfum/Fragrance term, but contains Litsea Cubeba (May Chang) Fruit Oil, a named essential oil. Format: cleansing foam, pump-dispensed pre-foamed microfoam.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate (an isethionate ester, not a glycinate/glutamate/taurate amino-acid surfactant, despite the product's popular 'amino acid cleanser' reputation in secondary media - the current published INCI does not support that label). Amphoteric: Cocamidopropyl Betaine. Nonionic: Polysorbate 20. (Betaine Salicylate is a BHA-type salicylic-acid actor, not a surfactant, and is excluded from this count.) Sulfate: none present. pH: brand publishes 'pH 5.3±1.0' on the official product page (cosrx.com, primary-brand-record; cross-checked at Soko Glam, retailer) - a real disclosed spec, not just a marketing phrase. Fragrance/EO: no Parfum/Fragrance term; contains Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, a named essential oil. Format: low-foam gel cleanser. Reformulation note: an older, discontinued pre-2018 COSRX formula had a different ingredient set per a secondary aggregator listing; the INCI above matches the current, live cosrx.com formula.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Apple Amino Acids (all genuine amino-acid-derived anionics) plus Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate (taurate-type mild anionic). Amphoteric: none. Nonionic: none. Sulfate: none present. pH: no numeric pH found published by the brand in sourced material. Fragrance/EO: no Parfum/Fragrance term, but contains Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, a named essential oil, notable given the brand's sensitive-skin positioning. Format: cream-to-microfoam wash-off cleanser (brand instructs applying with water to build a micro-foam, massaging, then rinsing). Included per the editorial PURE'AM criterion: this is a genuine rinse-off facial cleanser with a fully published INCI (pureambeauty.com, primary-brand-record), not a toner/ampoule/moisturizer. Sourcing caveat: sourced from the export/US listing; a Korean-market/Olive Young SKU was not independently located, so any regional formulation difference is unchecked.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: none. Amphoteric: none. Nonionic: PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG-8 Isostearate (PEG-based nonionic emulsifiers are the actual cleansing/emulsifying system here - no amino-acid-derived surfactant appears anywhere, despite the brand's 'gentle'/amino-acid-adjacent marketing positioning). Sulfate: none present. pH: no pH published on the brand's official product page (thenimetyou.com, primary-brand-record); an unsourced 'pH 6' figure circulates on third-party community/retail-blog listings but is not brand-published and is not treated as verified here. Fragrance/EO: no separate Parfum/Fragrance entry, but named essential oils are present - Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil - plus Limonene (fragrance-allergen marker); brand copy itself notes 'citrus fragrance notes.' Format: solid cleansing balm that emulsifies to a rinse-off milk on contact with water. Brand-origin note: Then I Met You is LA-headquartered and sold via US/Western retail, though founded by a Korean-American formulator - treated here as a Western-market entry for comparison purposes.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate and Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate (sulfosuccinate-type anionics - chemically distinct from and generally milder than alkyl sulfates like SLS/SLES; contain 'sulfo-' in the name but should not be conflated with 'sulfates'), plus Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate (amino-acid-derived) and Potassium Cocoate (fatty-acid soap). Amphoteric: none. Nonionic: none (the acrylate copolymers present are rheology modifiers/stabilizers, not surfactants). Sulfate: no classic alkyl sulfate (no SLS/SLES/ALS); two sulfosuccinate surfactants are present, flagged distinctly above. pH: brand states 'gentle pH of 6' on its official product page (thenimetyou.com, primary-brand-record) - an integer value without decimal precision. Fragrance/EO: no generic Parfum/Fragrance term, but two named essential oils appear - Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Flower Oil and Thuja Occidentalis (Arborvitae) Leaf Oil (tea tree here is a Leaf Extract, not an oil). Format: gel cleanser, marketed as a second-step double-cleanse gel. Sourcing caveat: a secondary aggregator lists a different, non-matching ingredient tail (different oils, missing Maltitol); treated as discrepant/unverified and not used - the brand's own page is the source of record.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: none. Amphoteric: Coco-Betaine. Nonionic: Polysorbate 60. (Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymeric thickener/emulsion stabilizer despite the 'taurate' name - not a classic surfactant and not amino-acid-derived; noted for completeness only.) No amino-acid-derived anionic surfactant is present in this formula. Sulfate: none present. pH: no pH published found on the brand's official US page or Ulta's retailer listing; an unsourced '5.2 ± 0.3' figure appeared in web-search synthesis but could not be traced to a citable primary or retailer page, so it is not reported as fact - stating plainly: no pH published. Fragrance/EO: confirmed fragrance-free; no Parfum/Fragrance or EO in the INCI, official page carries a 'Fragrance Free' claim. Format: non-foaming, water-based hydrating gel/lotion cleanser (the standard Toleriane Hydrating variant, distinct from the foaming Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser).
• Surfactant system - Anionic: Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate (lactic-acid-derived, NOT amino-acid-derived - no sarcosinate/glutamate/glycinate/taurate present in this formula). Amphoteric: none. Nonionic: PEG-40 Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Stearate (co-emulsifier). Behentrimonium Methosulfate (a cationic conditioning agent) is also present - it doesn't fit the anionic/amphoteric/nonionic surfactant buckets, noted for completeness; it is a methosulfate salt, a different chemical class from classic anionic detergent sulfates. Sulfate: no classic alkyl sulfate (SLS/SLES/ALS) present. pH: no exact numeric pH published; site/retailers state only 'pH-balanced' as a marketing claim with no figure given. Fragrance/EO: none; site states 'free of added fragrance.' Format: lathering cream-to-foam lotion/cream cleanser.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (isethionate-based, not amino-acid-derived - the same surfactant class used in classic syndet bar soaps), Sodium Isethionate (minor co-surfactant/humectant salt). Amphoteric: Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate. Nonionic: Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate. Sulfate: none present. pH: no exact numeric pH published; marketed only as a 'pH-balanced formula that helps maintain skin's natural acidity,' no figure disclosed. Fragrance/EO: none - confirmed fragrance-free; botanical extracts present (feverfew, green tea, licorice root, aloe) are plant extracts, not essential oils/fragrance. Format: cream cleanser, cream-to-foam on application. Naming note: currently sold as 'Ultra Gentle Pure Skin Face Cleanser'; the INCI matches a historical aggregator record for the older 'Pure Skin Face Cleanser' name, suggesting a rename rather than a confirmed reformulation, but no explicit brand statement on this was found.
• Surfactant system - Anionic: Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, a genuine amino-acid-derived anionic surfactant (the glycine salt of coconut fatty acid). Amphoteric: none. Nonionic: Coco-Glucoside. Sulfate: none present. pH: no exact numeric pH published; product/retailers state 'pH-balanced'/'non-comedogenic' as claims only, no figure found anywhere. Fragrance/EO: none - explicitly marketed 'fragrance free,' 'no essential oils'; Mica and Titanium Dioxide are present as colorant/opacifier ingredients, not fragrance. Format: liquid/lotion cleanser, pump-dispensed, light lather on wet skin.

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