Ingredient glossary / Cleansing agent
Soapwort extract
On the label: Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract · Cleansing agent
What it is
A plant whose saponins foam gently; used in very mild washes.
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: Plant extract. Q819450 →
In the research
2 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis L.) Extract vs. Synthetic Surfactants-Effect on Skin-Mimetic Models · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2021
- Effect of synthetic surfactants and soapwort (Saponaria officinalis L.) extract on skin-mimetic model lipid monolayers · Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes, 2019
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.
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.