🇬🇧United Kingdom

Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam for dry sensitive skin

Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam

Low

  • AverageDry Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • ConcerningSafety

A weak match for dry sensitive skin; the cleansers alongside fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Offers excellent cleansing for your dry and sensitive skin due to lauric acid and myristic acid, but the presence of sodium lauryl sulfate can strip essential oils, potentially worsening dryness and flakiness.
  • While glycerin and sodium acetylated hyaluronate provide some humectant benefits for dry skin, the formula lacks sufficient emollients for optimal hydration.

How to apply

  • Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your face fresh. Start slowly once a day if your dry skin feels sensitive at first.
  • Apply your cleanser first thing in your routine before any toner or moisturizer. Follow the usual steps for your AM or PM daily routine.
  • Gently massage the cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to protect your dry skin.
  • Apply the cleanser to slightly damp skin to help it clean gently without stripping moisture. This method is very safe for sensitive and dry skin types.
  • Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and avoid the delicate eye area. Always do a patch test before using the product for the first time.

People Say

★4.7Overall rating based on 3.0k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is highly regarded by users with oily and combination skin for its effective deep cleansing and luxurious lather, leaving skin feeling soft. A small amount is needed, making it efficient. Some users with dry or sensitive skin report it can be drying or cause irritation, and a moderate number of users find it to be pricey.

Highlights

  • Deep cleansing Mostly Mentioned
    • “face feels squeaky clean”
    • “removes all makeup residue”
    • “pores feel unclogged”
  • Rich lather Mostly Mentioned
    • “foams into a rich cloud”
    • “texture is silky and thick”
    • “feels luxurious on skin”
  • High efficiency Often Mentioned
    • “pea-sized amount is enough”
    • “tube lasts for months”
    • “little goes a long way”
  • Softens skin Sometimes Noted
    • “skin feels soft not tight”
    • “leaves face silky”
    • “improves skin radiance”
  • Drying or stripping Sometimes Noted
    • “left my skin squeaky dry”
    • “felt stripped of moisture”
    • “too drying for winter”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “pricey for a face wash”
    • “wish it was cheaper”
    • “expensive but worth it”
  • Skin irritation Rarely Noted
    • “caused red bumpy rash”
    • “stung my sensitive skin”
    • “broke me out immediately”
  • Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
    • “smell is too strong”
    • “fragrance irritated my eyes”
    • “perfume scent is unnecessary”

Sources: lovi.care, shiseido.com, macys.com, ulta.com, influenster.com, sephora.my, and more

Questions and answers

Why is Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam a weak match for dry sensitive skin?

This cleanser is a weak match for dry sensitive skin because it contains sodium lauryl sulfate, which can strip natural oils and worsen dryness and flakiness. While it has hydrating ingredients like glycerin, it lacks enough rich softening oils and moisture-locking ingredients to keep dry skin properly hydrated.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for dry sensitive skin?

Sodium lauryl sulfate makes this cleanser a weak match because it can strip natural oils, which may worsen dryness and flakiness on sensitive skin. A cleanser for this skin needs rich softening oils and gentle hydrating ingredients that protect moisture without causing irritation.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Inflammation Research, 2010

What does Glycerin do for dry sensitive skin?

Glycerin helps dry sensitive skin by drawing moisture into the skin and keeping it there, making the skin soft and smooth. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation while improving how well the skin holds onto water. This type of skin needs ingredients that boost hydration and repair the barrier without causing stinging.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008

What does Cocamidopropyl Betaine do for dry sensitive skin?

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a cleansing ingredient that may cause irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive skin. If you have easily irritated skin, this type of product needs very gentle, well-tolerated cleansers and soothing ingredients to keep skin calm.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2014

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?

This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine as the cleansing step. Because this product is a weak match that may strip essential oils and worsen dryness, dry and sensitive skin needs a very gentle cleanser with rich emollients and soothing ingredients.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Inflammation Research, 2010

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

Using this cleanser with retinol is unlikely to work well for dry sensitive skin because it contains sodium lauryl sulfate, which may strip essential oils and worsen dryness and flakiness when paired with strong treatments. A cleanser for this skin needs gentle cleansing agents and rich softening ingredients to protect the moisture barrier while using retinol.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Inflammation Research, 2010

How often should I use this cleanser?

This cleanser may not be a good fit because sodium lauryl sulfate can strip essential oils and worsen dryness. A cleanser for this skin needs gentle surfactants along with rich emollients to protect the skin barrier and maintain hydration.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Inflammation Research, 2010

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?

This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry sensitive skin, but it may worsen dryness and flakiness. A cleanser for this skin needs gentle cleansers that do not strip natural oils, along with rich softening ingredients to lock in moisture.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Inflammation Research, 2010

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

This cleanser may be too harsh for the very thin skin around the eyes and your body because sodium lauryl sulfate strips essential oils and disrupts the skin barrier. A cleanser for this skin needs rich softening oils and gentle moisture-locking ingredients to keep it comfortable and smooth.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, linalool, geraniol, and citronellol).

What the research says

  • Sodium lauryl sulfate-induced skin barrier disruption alters the mRNA expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers and corneodesmosome-degrading enzymes during the repair phase in human skin.

    The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008
  • Topical application of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) induces dose-dependent local inflammation and primary hyperalgesia to tactile and thermal stimulation in eight healthy subjects compared to vehicle.

    Inflammation Research, 2010
  • Lecithin-based surfactants showed very good (S75) or good (LPC80) skin-tolerability compared to sodium dodecyl sulfate on healthy forearm skin.

    Pharmaceutics, 2021
  • A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
  • The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.

    Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003
  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022
  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019
  • Topical application of sericin gels increased skin intrinsic moisturization, hydroxyproline content, and epidermal hydration while decreasing transepidermal water loss and skin impedance in healthy human volunteers.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2005
  • Silk fibroin wound dressings exhibit anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic properties that accelerate skin wound healing compared to commercially available dressings in preclinical and clinical settings.

    Biomolecules, 2022
  • Silk sericin-releasing bacterial nanocellulose gel demonstrated improved mechanical properties, controlled sericin release, non-cytotoxicity on L929 and HaCaT cells, and non-irritancy in subcutaneous tissue compared to a commercially available paper mask.

    BMC Biotechnology, 2014

Why other cleansers fit dry sensitive skin better

  • Transgenic cucumber expressing poly-γ-glutamic acid synthesis genes increased water content by 6-14%, reduced water loss by 11-12%, decreased facial wrinkles and roughness by 19.58% and 24.97%, decreased skin melanin by 5.27%, and improved facial elasticity in human skin and zebrafish compared to controls.

    International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024

Ingredients

Water, Stearic Acid, Peg-8, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sorbitol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Peg-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Parfum, Polyquaternium-39, Disodium Edta, Rice Germ Oil, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Kaolin, Sodium Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Betaine, Silk Powder Serica Poudre De Soie Powder, Tocopherol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

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Prices checked 15 Oct – 3 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for the United Kingdom.

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