What's In My Jar
Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Dr. Althea

Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm

Efficacy75/100IrritancyMedium
See all ingredients

Works for

Cleansing
Peg-20 glyceryl triisostearate, Peg-10 isostearate + 1 more
Can be harsh
What the product description says
“Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm”
Source: Yesstyle

This product works by removing dirt and oil from the surface of the skin.

It contains the following cleansing agents that tend to be harsh on the skin: sorbitan sesquioleate.

Keep in mind that cleansing can disrupt the skin barrier, and most people do not need to cleanse their skin more than once per day.

Peg-20 glyceryl triisostearateEffect: HighHelps water and oil mix together~3.7–5.5%
Peg-10 isostearateEffect: High~2.7–4%
Sorbitan sesquioleateEffect: HighUsed to help oil and water mix together. Can be irritating~1.9–2.9%

Can it cause trouble?

Irritancy
1 strong irritant: Sorbitan sesquioleate
Medium risk
We flagged 10 ingredients with irritancy potential. Severity depends on your sensitivity threshold; the table lists the worst offenders first.
IngredientFunctionIrritationEst. amount
Sorbitan sesquioleateUsed to help oil and water mix together. Can be irritatingHigh~1.9–2.9%est.
Cetyl ethylhexanoateAn emollient that helps soften the skin and creates a thicker product textureMedium~22–33%est.
Caprylic/capric triglycerideA good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerinMedium~6.3–9.5%est.
Peg-20 glyceryl triisostearateHelps water and oil mix togetherMedium~3.7–5.5%est.
Vitis vinifera seed oilA great emollient that can also have anti-oxidant propertiesMedium~1.4–2%est.
MadecassosideAn antioxidant that is typically derived from plant Centella Asiatica. It can help neutralize free radicals in skin and support skin barrier function. It could, however, itself be irritating. It is often unstable in formulationsMedium~0.55–1.25%est.
Centella asiatica extractA plant extract that has been shown to be able to reduce inflammation in skin, support restoration of skin barrier function, as well as support collagen production. Contains active compounds called centelloids: asiaticoside, madecasosside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Might be helpful in preventing stretch marks. It can be itself be irritating though.Medium~0.3–0.75%est.
AsiaticosideAn active compound of Centella Asiatica plant extract. In combination with other active compounds of Centella Asiatica extract (madecasosside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid), asiaticoside has been shown to be helpful in wound-healing, restoring skin barrier function and supporting collagen production in skin. It can, however, itself be irritatingMedium~0.3–0.7%est.
Caprylyl glycolHelps preserve products and creates a nice product textureMedium~0.15–0.6%est.
EthylhexylglycerinA preservativeMedium~0.05–0.25%est.
Comedogenic
Clean of flagged comedogenic ingredients
None flagged

User reviews

Would you recommend?
No community reviews yet.

Be the first — your take helps the next person decide.

Ingredients

Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.

Cetyl ethylhexanoate~22–33%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Moisturizing

An emollient that helps soften the skin and creates a thicker product texture

More about Cetyl ethylhexanoate
Caprylic/capric triglyceride~6.3–9.5%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Moisturizing

A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin

More about Caprylic/capric triglyceride
Peg-20 glyceryl triisostearate~3.7–5.5%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Cleansing

Helps water and oil mix together

More about Peg-20 glyceryl triisostearate
Synthetic wax~4–5.9%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Used to stabilize product formulations and thicken product consistency

More about Synthetic wax
Peg-10 isostearate~2.7–4%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Cleansing
More about Peg-10 isostearate
Sorbitan sesquioleate~1.9–2.9%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High
Works for
Cleansing

Used to help oil and water mix together. Can be irritating

More about Sorbitan sesquioleate
Camellia sinensis seed oil~1.9–2.8%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
MoisturizingAnti-oxidationAnti-aging

A plant oil that helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and can help restore the skin barrier. Might have some anti-oxidant effect

More about Camellia sinensis seed oil
Vitis vinifera seed oil~1.4–2%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
MoisturizingAnti-oxidation

A great emollient that can also have anti-oxidant properties

More about Vitis vinifera seed oil
Madecassoside~0.55–1.25%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
MoisturizingAnti-oxidationAnti-agingEvens skin tone

An antioxidant that is typically derived from plant Centella Asiatica. It can help neutralize free radicals in skin and support skin barrier function. It could, however, itself be irritating. It is often unstable in formulations

More about Madecassoside
Centella asiatica extract~0.3–0.75%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Reduces irritationReduces rednessMoisturizingAnti-inflammatoryAnti-agingAnti-oxidationAnti-blemish

A plant extract that has been shown to be able to reduce inflammation in skin, support restoration of skin barrier function, as well as support collagen production. Contains active compounds called centelloids: asiaticoside, madecasosside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Might be helpful in preventing stretch marks. It can be itself be irritating though.

More about Centella asiatica extract
Asiaticoside~0.3–0.7%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Anti-oxidationMoisturizingAnti-agingReduces irritation

An active compound of Centella Asiatica plant extract. In combination with other active compounds of Centella Asiatica extract (madecasosside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid), asiaticoside has been shown to be helpful in wound-healing, restoring skin barrier function and supporting collagen production in skin. It can, however, itself be irritating

More about Asiaticoside
Water~0.1–0.45%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Plain old water

More about Water
Caprylyl glycol~0.15–0.6%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Moisturizing

Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture

More about Caprylyl glycol
Ethylhexylglycerin~0.05–0.25%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium

A preservative

More about Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredient list view

Cetyl ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Peg-20 glyceryl triisostearate, Synthetic wax, Peg-10 isostearate, Sorbitan sesquioleate, Camellia sinensis seed oil, Vitis vinifera seed oil, Madecassoside, Centella asiatica extract, Asiaticoside, Water, Caprylyl glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Compare prices

Retailers ranked by price — lowest first.

Yesstyle
$18.81
Buy
Amazon USPrice as of 11/8 06:23 GMT
$22.90
Buy

Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.

Worth comparing, line by line.

Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.

Side-by-side comparison of this product against its closest alternatives
Dr. AltheaPure Grinding Cleansing BalmYOUR PRODUCThwarang'Bellflower Cleansing BalmDEZI SKINSkin So Balm Makeup Melting Cleansing BalmLion PosePep Melt Cleansing Barrier Balm with Peptides, Ceramides, and Colloidal Oatmeal
Match—41%39%38%
Price$18.81$25.00+$6.19$39.00+$20.19$35.00+$16.19
Shared key ingredients—4 of 94 of 95 of 9
Key difference—PanthenolJojoba OilAcetyl Octapeptide-3
Irritancy Medium Medium Medium Medium
Drying alcohol————
View product Shop Shop Shop
  • matches yours
  • differs
  • cheaper

More alternatives: Banila Co Clean it Zero Cleansing Balm FirmingHouse of HUR Purifying Cleansing Balm

Cheaper alternatives? See how this stacks up against similar formulas.
We compare ingredient profiles across our catalog — pick the closest match for your budget.
Open dupe finder

Sources cited in this review

Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 18 studies and safety reviews.

  1. 1
    Safety Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Compounds for Cosmetic Usencbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. 2
    Sorbitan sesquioleate, a common emulsifier in topical corticosteroids, is an important contact allergenncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. 3
    Characteristics of Tea Seed Oil in Comparison with Sunflower and Olive Oils and Its Effect as a Natural Antioxidantlink.springer.com
  4. 4
    Centella asiatica in Dermatology: An Overviewonlinelibrary.wiley.com
  5. 5
    Protective effect of madecassoside on H2O2-induced oxidative stress and autophagy activation in human melanocytesncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. 6
    Madecassoside, a triterpenoid saponin isolated from Centella asiatica herbs, protects endothelial cells against oxidative stressonlinelibrary.wiley.com
Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Dr. AltheaPure Grinding Cleansing Balm
Buy at Yesstyle$18.81$22.90as of 11/8 06:23 GMT

Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.

Buy at Yesstyle$18.81$22.90as of 11/8 06:23 GMT

As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.