Dr.Jart+
Dr.Jart+ Dermaclear pH Foam Cleanser 120ml
A low-pH foam that smells like a spa, not a lab.
Five essential oils sit consecutively at positions eleven to fifteen of twenty-two.
Dense foam, quick rinse.
What this cleanser does
A 120 ml soap-free foaming cleanser built on four mild surfactants held at an acidic pH by a citrate buffer, scented with five essential oils.
The pH claim holds up
Look for what would make this alkaline and it is not there. No fatty acids, no potassium or sodium hydroxide — nothing on this list can form soap, and soap is what forces a cleanser to a high pH.
What is there instead: Citric Acid at seventeen with Sodium Carbonate at nineteen and Tromethamine at sixteen. Citric acid and sodium carbonate react to form a citrate buffer in the formula — a system that resists pH drift rather than just setting a starting number. That is more work than simply dropping in an acid, and it is the reason the name is on the tube.
Healthy skin sits around pH 4.5 to 5.5, and the enzymes that let dead surface cells shed work in that band. A cleanser that stays there is doing something a soap cannot.
Four surfactants, none of them harsh
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine (3) is an amphoteric that stays stable at low pH — not every surfactant does. Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate (4) is an amino-acid surfactant, the mildest class in common use. Decyl Glucoside (7) is sugar-based. Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate (9) is a taurate.
No sulfate, no soap. Acrylates Copolymer at five is the reason the foam is dense and holds its shape — it is a film former, borrowed from the same chemistry that makes hair gel hold.
The five oils, said plainly
Bergamot Oil, Geranium Flower Oil, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Salvia Oil and Lavender Oil run consecutively from eleven to fifteen, with Limonene and Linalool declared at twenty and twenty-one because they are recognised contact allergens present in those oils.
Two citrus peel oils are in that group, and citrus peel oils are the family most associated with photosensitivity. In a rinse-off product the exposure is brief, which is why this is a fair choice for a cleanser and would be a different conversation in a serum.
Geranium, bergamot and sage also appear in the Dr.Jart+ Ceramidin toner. This is a house scent used across the brand, not a treatment ingredient — and if you have reacted to one Dr.Jart+ product, this is the most likely reason.
Ethanol is also present, at eighteen.
Key ingredients
Ingredient · What it is, and what it is used for
- Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
- Amphoteric surfactant. Does the cleansing — mild, and it stays stable at low pH. Third on this list.
- Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
- Amino-acid surfactant from coconut. Cleans at skin's own pH rather than raising it the way soap does.
- Decyl Glucoside
- Sugar-based non-ionic surfactant. Does the cleansing.
- Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
- Taurate surfactant of coconut origin. Does the cleansing.
- Acrylates Copolymer
- Acrylate copolymer. Leaves a light film on the surface — this is what makes the foam dense and stable. Fifth on this list.
- Citric Acid
- Alpha hydroxy acid, used here as pH adjuster — half of the buffer that sets the low pH.
- Sodium Carbonate
- Soda ash. Paired with citric acid it forms a citrate buffer, which resists pH drift rather than just setting it.
- Tromethamine
- Amino alcohol. Sets the pH — the third component holding the pH steady.
- Glycerin
- Polyol. A material skin already contains, so it reads as its own; used to pull in water and hold it. Second on this list.
- Bergamot Oil
- Essential oil of bergamot peel. Carries scent. Part of the five-oil scent.
- Geranium Flower Oil
- Essential oil of geranium flower (Pelargonium graveolens). Carries scent — the source of the citronellol note.
- Limonene
- Fragrance component, declared because it is a recognised contact allergen. It comes from the citrus oils.
How the formula works together
Twenty-two ingredients and a very clear structure: water, glycerin, four surfactants, a film former, salt to thicken, five essential oils, a three-part buffer, ethanol, two declared allergens and a chelator.
There is no botanical tail, no vitamin, no hyaluronic acid and no claim ingredient of any kind. For a cleanser that is an honest way to build — the product does one job, and everything on the list is there for that job or for the scent.
What it does not have is a deposit polymer. Cleansers that leave skin feeling soft usually carry a cationic ingredient that clings through the rinse; this one does not, so it rinses genuinely clean. Whether that reads as "fresh" or "tight" depends on your skin.
Who it is for
Worth checking before you buy: Those five essential oils are most of what is unusual here — skip it if essential oils are a problem for you.
Labelled for all skin types. Suits oily and combination skin that wants a squeaky-fresh finish without soap. Not the choice if you avoid fragrance or react to essential oils — five of them is a lot, even briefly. It will not remove sunscreen or makeup alone; use an oil cleanser first at night.
How to use it
- Put an appropriate amount onto wet hands and work it into a dense foam.
- Massage the foam thoroughly over the face.
- Rinse with water.
- Apply toner while skin is still damp — this one rinses clean, so do not let it dry bare.
Details
- Size
- 120 ml
- Made in
- Korea
- Cleansing system
- Soap-free — four mild surfactants, held acidic by a citrate buffer
- Contains
- Five essential oils, ethanol; limonene and linalool declared
- Ingredients
- 22, published in full below
Full ingredient list
Purified Water, Glycerin, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Bergamot Oil, Geranium Flower Oil, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Salvia Oil, Lavender Oil, Tromethamine, Citric Acid, Ethanol, Sodium Carbonate, Limonene, Linalool, Disodium EDTA
In label order, unedited.
Ships from Korea.
