One thing all beauty editors know is this: cleansers can make or break your skincare routine. The feeling of clean skin is satisfying, but if you don’t wash your face correctly, your skin simply won’t reap the benefits of serums and moisturisers. They can sit on top of makeup, sunscreen and whatever else your skin has come into contact with that day, rather than absorbing and using it to its full potential. Not only is this a waste of time, but it’s also a waste of money.
With brands like The Inkey List, CeraVe and Byoma offering high-quality, affordable formulas, you don’t have to spend a fortune on face cleansing. In particular, The Ordinary’s products are ridiculously affordable. If you’re already a fan, you’ll know that the Squalane Cleanser (£8) has become a must-have among dermatologists and TikTok skincare enthusiasts for its silky, balm-like texture. Then there’s the newer Glucoside Foaming Cleanser, £11.10, which is a very effective make-up remover. Now there’s competition for both. Enter: the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser, £11.10. This unique formula has several factors that make it different from its predecessor. First up, the texture: Compared to balm oils (like Squalane Cleanser), it’s more gel-cream-like and doesn’t foam (like Glucoside Foaming Cleanser).
Since it’s water-based, it feels more like a lightweight lotion, but its cleansing power can’t be underestimated. The Ordinary promises that the Glycolipid Cleanser removes dirt, environmental pollutants (like pollution), and makeup. Even better: it’s suitable for all skin types. What are glycolipids? If you don’t mind a crash course in chemistry, lipids are naturally occurring fats. Glycolipids are lipids that contain carbohydrates and attach to the cells that form tissues such as skin. Glycolipids are considered to be highly emollient, so they can soften, soothe, and moisturize dry skin. This also makes them an effective supplement to moisturizers, serums, and cleansers, like this one from The Ordinary.
Is The Ordinary’s sugar-and-fat cleanser any good? Before I get into the point: I rarely have my cleansing products ready. My job is to try out the latest products as soon as they come out, but most of the time
I miss products before I’ve used up the last drop. To avoid wasting anything, I’ll use a cleanser on my body or use foam to clean my makeup brushes. But I love sugar-lipid cleansers so much
I don’t want to see the end. When I make this, I don’t have too much on hand. The gel-cream texture is similar to CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser (£11.50), arguably the most viral cleanser on TikTok. If you regularly
use R29, you know I love using it. It’s gentle on reactive and sensitive skin, removes makeup, leaves skin feeling soft, and doesn’t cause breakouts.
However, I noticed one key difference: while regular cleansers with sugars and oils can penetrate thick mascara with just one swipe, CeraVe requires a double cleanse to remove everything. For this reason alone, I tend to use sugar- and lipid-containing
cleansing products. Anything that can shave a minute off my skincare routine gets my vote. I should tell you one other thing: before the Glycolipid Cleanser landed on my desk, I had a new cleanser, £42, from a brand that’s popular with dermatologists that I used. It took so much effort to dissolve my foundation and mascara that it stung my eyes. The regular cleanser, at £11.10, is a fraction of the price and, in my opinion, more effective and more pleasant to use. It’s safe to say that we’re more aware of our skin barrier (the outermost layer of skin, like a protective armour for the face) than ever before. As a result, foaming cleansers that can leave skin feeling tight and uncomfortable are being replaced by smoother, gentler ones. Although I have combination skin, a very oily T-zone and the occasional blackhead, I find that the Glycolipid Cleanser works better for me than the foaming cleanser. In fact, I think I like it better than the brand’s new Glucoside Foaming Cleanser. I don’t feel the urgency to moisturise my skin with a serum afterwards, and moisturiser can be a refresher, because my skin isn’t thirsty. Instead, it’s soft and bouncy. Since learning to take better care of my skin barrier (choose moisturizers with ingredients like ceramides and glycerin, don’t overdo it with products like retinol or exfoliating acids, and switch to cleansers like this one), I’ve also noticed fewer breakouts.
My partner (who also has combination and acne-prone skin) loves the Sugar Lip Cleanser as much as I do, which is why you can see how long the tube lasts when it’s squeezed down to an inch. We’ve even considered cutting off the top to keep the rest. My only criticism is that the tube isn’t twice as big. I use them to remove makeup at night and to freshen my face in the morning (not to mention I’ve shared them with others), and the whole thing has lasted us less than
less than a month. The Sugar Lip Cleanser is available now at theordinary.com/en-gb, and I have a feeling that, like the cleansers before it, it’ll be gone from the virtual shelves soon. I know a future cult classic when I see one.
