Ingredient glossary / Cleansing agent
Glycolipids
On the label: Glycolipids · Cleansing agent
What it is
Sugar-fat molecules from fermentation (sophorolipids, rhamnolipids), used as mild biosurfactants in newer cleansers.
Cleansing agents: Surfactants lift oil and dirt so water can carry them off; the cleaning part of any wash, and what makes it foam.
Wikidata: Class of chemical compounds. Q422882 →
In the research
256 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Extracellular vesicles from Cutibacterium acnes phylotypes IA1, IB, II and III, which contain glucoglycerolipids, are not cytotoxic but induce a strong pro-inflammatory response in · BMC microbiology, 2026
- Reglid: novel glycolipids from Korean red ginseng marc · Journal of ginseng research, 2026
- Compositional and Functional Characterization of Glycolipid Biosurfactants from an Olive-Derived Lactiplantibacillus plantarum · Journal of microbiology and biotechnology, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Products whose label lists it
1 on the siteMatched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.
Other cleansing agents
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.