Why Do Dermatologists Like Cetaphil?

Hi, I was wondering why dermatologists recommend Cetaphil, when everything except the water in it is synthetic, when it contains SLS, when it contains no antioxidants, omegas, AHAs, BHAs… anything. I understand it might not irritate your skin, but several of the ingredients have received negative press and have been labelled as potentially toxic. Moreover, there’s nothing in there I can see that will actually improve your skin. Am I missing something – is Cetaphil owned by a corporate giant who will destroy the reputation of any dermatologist who dares to criticise it? -Benjamin

Dear Benjamin,

You bring up an excellent point. Dermatologists classically have loved the Cetaphil cleansers because they are non-alkaline (pH 6.3-6.8), lipid-free, non-comedogenic, and mild enough for sensitive skin. Cetaphil cleansers have a slightly acidic pH and contain high concentrations of hydrating cetyl alcohol (in the formula for all skin types) and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (in the formula for normal to oily skin), both of which attract moisture to the skin, rather than stripping the skin of moisture like the lipids in bar soaps do.

Strike #1: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

That having been said, I understand your concern about the Cetaphil formulas. Both contain fair concentrations of sodium lauryl sulfate, which is a known skin irritant. In fact, pure sodium lauryl sulfate is used in ‘challenge patch tests’ to evaluate the barrier function of skin, because it strips away skin’s natural lipids and renders it more susceptible to external irritants. Despite these facts, dermatologists have found that patients using Cetaphil do not have irritated skin, perhaps due to the still-higher concentration of emollient cetyl alcohol and/or sodium lauryl sarcosinate.

Strike #2: Parabens

[Read More: Spotlight on Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Other readers might be concerned about the Cetaphil formulas because they contain parabens: Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin contains only methylparaben, while Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser for All Skin Types has methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Like many skincare products, Cetaphil contains parabens because they are effective preservatives and correlated with a low incidence of contact dermatitis, according to the American Journal of Contact Dermatitis.

Controversy over parabens began largely in the late 1990′s, due to the suggestions that parabens bind to estrogen receptors in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. It was also suggested that parabens upregulate estrogenic gene expression in human breast cancer cells, yeast cells, and in the cells of fish. Alarmingly, parabens were found to increase breast cancer cell proliferation, as well as in breast tumor samples.

[Read More: Are the Parabens in Skin Care Products Really Bad for You?

However, the scientists at the U.S. FDA concluded that parabens in the concentrations found in skin care products and cosmetics (up to 25%, but typically 1%) pose no logical risk to the consumer. How was the conclusion made? Simple: The amounts of parabens used in the studies were far higher than the consumer is exposed to with skincare and cosmetic product use. For instance, in the study with fish, parabens were ingested in doses between 100 and 300 mg/kg, which amounts to about 15000 mg of parabens for the average 74 kg American woman. A normal application of skin care product gives an exposure of about 60 mg.*

*How I came up with this: A normal application of a skincare product [sunscreen] amounts to 1 mg of product per cm2 of skin. The average human body has 14800 cm2 of skin. The average skincare product is about 1% parabens and 20-60% (depending on paraben type and the rest of the formulation) crosses the skin, resulting in about 60 mg of parabens, or roughly 1/24 the amount used in the study).

Later studies suggested parabens accumulate in tissues over time, but only for 36 hours.

Alternatives to Cetaphil

[Read More: 3 Reasons Why Paraben Alternatives Might Be Worse Than Parabens ] [Read More: Are Paraben Alternatives Actually Better?

Still, I understand your concern in using Cetaphil, despite the great results patients have had with it for the past 20 years or so. If you prefer sulfate-free and paraben-free alternatives that are also non-alkaline/low-to-neutral pH and non-lipid-containing, try the Aveeno Moisturizing Bar (pH also acidic, at 4.9; this is my favorite!), or the Dove Moisturizing Bar (pH neutral, at 7.3).

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben.

Ingredients in Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin

Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerin, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Butylene Glycol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Masking Fragrance, Panthenol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben.

Bottom Line

With all of the concern out there regarding sulfates and parabens, I can’t imagine dermatologists will be universally recommending Cetaphil far into the future. Although the results from Cetaphil cleansers are almost always excellent, I know some of my more cautious readers would prefer alternatives free of sulfates and parabens, like the Aveeno Moisturizing Bar or the Dove Moisturizing Bar. Hopefully Cetaphil can reformulate their cleansers without sulfates or parabens while preserving efficacy in the future. At any rate, I have never heard of anyone having a negative reaction from Cetaphil, so the choice depends on how cautious you choose to be with your skin care. Good luck!

Hope this helps,

Nicki

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