Index / The Ordinary / Glycolipid Cream Cleanser
The Ordinary

Glycolipid Cream Cleanser.

The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser
Cleansers

About this product

A cream cleanser formulated with glycolipids and phytic acid that transforms into a milk-like gel when water is added, designed to remove makeup and sunscreen while maintaining skin hydration.

Best for

Dry skinSensitive skin
Cleansers

The Guru Index verdict

85%

Approved

Approved · 85%
5Reviewers
5Approved
0Mixed
0Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus overwhelmingly praise this cleanser for its gentle, hydrating performance and impressive cleansing power in one step. The consistent highlight is that it removes waterproof makeup and sunscreen without stripping or leaving residue, making it ideal for those who want to skip double cleansing. Reviewers repeatedly note its suitability across all skin types, particularly for dry and sensitive skin, and its affordable price. The only minor split concerns waterproof sunscreen removal: most find it effective, though one reviewer suggests pairing it with an oil cleanser first for very stubborn formulas.
Synthesized from 5 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Fragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Behenyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Glycolipids, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Diutan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Phytate, Phytic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"This is the ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser. It's a beautiful option that has a similar texture to other cream cleansers, velvety and creamy, and then when you apply water, it turns into a gel cleanser and rinses away. I think this is going to supercharge the cream cleanser game. When The Ordinary create a product, a lot of other brands follow. And so, expect to see a lot of other brands come out with their cream cleansers in the next 12 months. It's probably my favorite style of cleanser."
All 5 takes from Mad About Skin
REDUCE WRINKLES FAST - Ultimate Evening Skincare Routine 2024
"The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser is one of my favorite products from the ordinary and this is beautiful, it melts into the skin, it gets rid of waterproof makeup and SPF. It's an amazing one-stop shop, this is all you need for an effective evening cleanse. I use this every other day usually as my cleanser of choice and my skin just loves it."
THE ORDINARY SALE - Top 10 The Ordinary Products
"The glycolipid cream cleanser is beautiful if you're looking for a nice hydrating cleanse in those cooler winter months. This doesn't strip it doesn't dry and it does genuinely remove multiple layers of water resistant SPF makeup, anything that's on the skin this will get rid of it. It's kind of like a double cleanse on its own but of course you can then use it with a cleansing balm too if you want like an extra robust cleanse. It's beautiful, it's affordable, it's just a nice all round cleanser. It's not groundbreaking, it's not changing the skincare world but it is going to be a part of your skincare routine that will definitely help over time build the results that you're going to see. I love it, it's my favorite of the cleansers from the ordinary. This is just something a little bit different we don't see a lot of in the market in terms of how rich and how hydrating it is."
THE PERFECT CLEANSER 2025 - Is All Over For CeraVe
"This is the ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser. It's a beautiful option that has a similar texture to other cream cleansers, velvety and creamy, and then when you apply water, it turns into a gel cleanser and rinses away. I think this is going to supercharge the cream cleanser game. When The Ordinary create a product, a lot of other brands follow. And so, expect to see a lot of other brands come out with their cream cleansers in the next 12 months. It's probably my favorite style of cleanser."
THE ORDINARY ARE BACK - Full New Products Review ( The Ordinary Review 2024 )
"The Glycolipid Cream Cleanser is a great option if you've got a drier skin type. It's really hydrating but almost works like a double cleanse in one. It'll shift water resistant SPF, waterproof makeup, but it doesn't leave a trace or film on the skin. So if you're too lazy to double cleanse, just reach for this and it does it all in one. I love it."
BEST THE ORDINARY SERUMS FOR WRINKLES - Top 5 Anti-Aging Skincare
"I love this because it's gentle on the skin, it's slightly hydrating. A lot of brands will call their cleansers hydrating, but don't forget because you're actually working it in and removing it with water, all cleansers are going to be to some degree a little drying on the skin, but I'd say this keeps drying us to an absolute minimum. It doesn't irritate the skin and it really does pack a punch when it comes to cleansing. If you're the sort of person that doesn't really want to do a double cleanse, just get this because it will remove stubborn waterproof makeup, multiple layers of water resistant SPF. It doesn't irritate, gets the job done. I really really enjoy it."
Approved
"The cleanser of the year was The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream. I absolutely love it, super cheap. It's basically just a really gorgeous cream cleanser, rinse off, perfect. That's why I love this. It turns to milk when you add water."
Approved
"It uses glycolipids so this is applied on your dry skin just like an oil or balm cleanser. The texture is not a cream texture, it's an emulsion that's sort of gelish, but it has a really nice slip to it while you're applying it on your skin. It doesn't really emulsify in the way that I'm used to, I don't see it turning milky, but it still rinses off clean. For this reason I prefer this to the squalane cleanser, which does not quite rinse off clean and leaves a residue on the skin. This removes all my sunscreen and makeup. It's a great first cleanser if you have normal to oily skin or if you just don't prefer or enjoy an oil-based first cleanser."
Approved
"The Glycolipid Cream Cleanser has glycolipids which are helpful for the moisture barrier and phytic acid which is an antioxidant that also can mildly exfoliate the skin. This is a cream cleanser that you can apply to dry or damp skin and I have to tell you guys I have been rather impressed with the performance of this. If you have very sensitive irritated skin, or maybe you're using Accutane and you want the mildest gentlest products, this is a very very very mild gentle creamy soothing frankly cleanser that actually does a good job removing cosmetics. It may not be the best at removing water resistant sunscreen you may need to use an oil cleanser first but I was able to get mascara that is not waterproof, eye shadow, non-water resistant sunscreen off with just this applying it all over to a dry face and then when I get in the shower rinsing it off with no additional cleanser. It's fragrance free and has kind of a coconutty aroma to it. It kind of reminds me almost like a more liquid version of a cold cream. Twelve dollars and fifty cents for the 150 ml."
Approved
"The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser is one of my favorite cleansers because it's creamy, it's moisturizing, it's nourishing and it doesn't strip your skin barrier. Great for all skin types including sensitive skin. I have combination skin and this never breaks me out and I am somebody who is very breakout prone. This is absolutely exceptional. You can use this to remove your makeup and sunscreen if you really wanted to, so if you wanted to eliminate a cleansing balm or a cleansing oil you could use this instead just to loosen everything off. If you like something that's creamy, this is a must try."
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All 5 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash
DECIEM SALE 2024 | MUST HAVE PRODUCTS YOU NEED FROM THE ORDINARY, NIOD & LOOPHA - SINCERELY MISS ASH
"The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser is wonderful. I was using this all summer in my shower and it just cleanses your skin so nicely. It is super gentle, it has that nice creaminess, and it's non-stripping. It's also fragrance-free. I especially love this cleanser for the fall and winter months because of how gentle and moisturizing it is. You can also use this to remove your makeup and sunscreen at the end of the day as that first cleanse and then go in again with a second cleanse just to ensure your skin is really clean. This is really nice cleanser especially if you have dry skin, you have sensitive skin, if you're oily or your combination skin like myself. This is still a great cleanser to use. It's really affordable."
MY MORNING ANTI-AGING SKINCARE ROUTINE | A.M. SUMMER SKINCARE ROUTINE | OVER 30
"This is one of my favorite cleansers as of late because it's very creamy, it's moisturizing, it's also very gentle, perfect for all skin types including dry skin, but this doesn't strip the skin either. It really is that nice formula that cleanses nice and I love this for the morning but I also really like using this at night time as well as this acts as a makeup and sunscreen remover. When you emulsify this with water you do get more of that lather which is really nice but again super gentle. It doesn't leave a film on the skin either, which is another bonus that I love."
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"The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser is one of my favorite cleansers because it's creamy, it's moisturizing, it's nourishing and it doesn't strip your skin barrier. Great for all skin types including sensitive skin. I have combination skin and this never breaks me out and I am somebody who is very breakout prone. This is absolutely exceptional. You can use this to remove your makeup and sunscreen if you really wanted to, so if you wanted to eliminate a cleansing balm or a cleansing oil you could use this instead just to loosen everything off. If you like something that's creamy, this is a must try."
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"The Glycolipid Cream Cleanser is another formula that is perfect for all skin types. I have combination skin, sometimes my skin can be oily, but even when I'm using a creamy cleanser, something that is richer and more moisturizing, my skin doesn't feel greasy. I don't have a film left over once I've rinsed this off, and it keeps my skin barrier nice and comfortable, well moisturized. This is something that I like to use in my morning routine, but I also really enjoy using this at night time as well. It's a cleanser that you can use every day, twice a day, and it really is super gentle. If you're someone that has dry skin or you're using a lot of active ingredients like retinol, or maybe you're using a glycolic or lactic acid, something that can be a little bit drying on the skin, using a creamy cleanser can really help to keep that skin barrier comfortable. I use tretinoin a lot and sometimes I use lactic acid, so I do like to use that richer formulation because it just feels so nice when your skin is dry and flaky. This really is great if you're looking for that richer formula, and it also does a fabulous job removing makeup and eyeliner, mascara, and lip stains as a first cleanse."
THE ORDINARY & NIOD SALE 2023 | I SPLURGED ONCE AGAIN AND THIS IS WHAT I PURCHASED!
"The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser is exceptional for dry skin but honestly it's perfect for all skin types. It's very gentle, it cleanses the skin really nicely, and there's no film that's left over either. You can use this both morning and evening. You can remove your makeup and sunscreen with this at night time if you wish to, and this is going to be great for the winter months as well. This is a new formula that they came out with this year and I'm very impressed with it."
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