Most cleansers' best case is to do no harm. This one goes further: it carries a full five-ceramide complex with cholesterol and phytosphingosine — the skin's own barrier lipids — into a rinse-off jelly cleanser. Paired with mild, sulfate-free surfactants and a bouncy jelly texture that doubles as a brief mask, it actively supports the barrier rather than merely sparing it.
A genuinely gentle jelly cleanser that does the unusual thing — actively supports the skin barrier with a full five-ceramide complex while cleansing, using mild sulfate-free surfactants. It cleans without stripping, doubles as a brief mask for dry patches, and suits sensitive skin well. A trace of rosemary leaf oil is the only real caveat.
This cleanser is an early-2026 release, so independent feedback is thin. Scoring leans on formulation analysis and Klairs's track record.
The case for it
What would change this: The same active in a leave-on form would be judged on its evidence rather than its contact time.
Same rule for everyone. “Supporting role” is the verdict on 8,197 of 45,024 concern verdicts across the catalog; rule R6 decided 2,017 of them. Unchanged since September 5, 2026, engine 5.1.1.
Brand or formulator? Disclose a concentration or correct a fact →
The studies behind the evidence row
The case for it
What would change this: The same active in a leave-on form would be judged on its evidence rather than its contact time.
Same rule for everyone. “Supporting role” is the verdict on 8,197 of 45,024 concern verdicts across the catalog; rule R6 decided 2,017 of them. Unchanged since September 5, 2026, engine 5.1.1.
Brand or formulator? Disclose a concentration or correct a fact →
The studies behind the evidence row
The case for it
What would change this: A researched evidence row for the lead active would replace this with a verdict.
Same rule for everyone. “Good choice” is the verdict on 1,938 of 45,024 concern verdicts across the catalog; rule F2 decided 1,938 of them. Unchanged since September 5, 2026, engine 5.1.1.
Brand or formulator? Disclose a concentration or correct a fact →
Also listed for Dehydration and Dullness — the actives here (Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI) are in our research queue for those concerns; there is no verdict until their evidence rows are written. That is a gap in our table, not a mark against the product.
Does the jobDoes what a cleanser is for: surfactant mildness, rinses clean without stripping. Not measured from the label: pH match to skin.
A verdict is DermApproved’s assessment of how well a product’s ingredients fit a concern — never a claim about what the product treats. Evidence dots and collected reviews sit beside it and are never blended in. Rules 0.5.1 · evidence table ev-2026.09-r228 · how we decide
The bar for a cleanser is, quietly, very low. Ask most skincare-literate people what they want from a face wash and the answer amounts to: clean my skin without wrecking it. Do no harm. The cleanser is the step where you are most likely to damage your barrier and least likely to repair it, so the realistic goal has long been simply to minimize the damage. The Klairs Vitamin Hydrating Jelly Mask Cleanser is interesting because it is not content with that bar. It tries, within the genuine constraints of a rinse-off product, to make the cleansing step actively good for the barrier rather than merely neutral.
The evidence for that ambition is on the ingredient list, near the end, where you find something a cleanser rarely bothers with: a full five-ceramide complex. Ceramide NP, NS, AS, AP and EOP — five of the skin's own barrier lipid species — alongside cholesterol and phytosphingosine. That is, essentially, a barrier-repair lipid set, the kind of thing you expect in a serious moisturizer, placed into a face wash.
The fair skeptic's question is the obvious one, and it's worth answering head-on because it's a genuine myth: aren't ceramides in a cleanser pointless, since they rinse off? Most of any cleanser does rinse away — but 'most' is not 'all,' and rinsing off is not the whole story. Cleansing inherently strips some of the skin's natural lipids; supplying ceramides during the wash offsets that loss in real time, and some lipid material deposits a thin protective residue. It will not replace your moisturizer's ceramides, and anyone expecting it to is measuring against the wrong benchmark. What it does is change the cleanse from a small subtraction into something closer to neutral-or-positive for the barrier. That is a real, if modest, upgrade — and a rare one in the category.
The surfactant system backs up the intent. There is no soap here and no sulfates. The cleansing comes from sodium cocoyl isethionate — a mild, coconut-derived surfactant known for a creamy, cushioned, low-irritation cleanse — plus gentle amphoteric and taurate surfactants (coco-betaine, cocoyl taurate, cocoamphodiacetate). These remove oil, sunscreen and grime effectively without the aggressive degreasing that leaves skin tight and squeaky. That leads straight into a second myth worth retiring: that a cleanser needs a rich, abundant foam to clean properly. It doesn't. Big, dense foam is a signature of harsher surfactants, sulfates especially, which strip aggressively; the soft, light lather this jelly produces is a sign of gentleness, not weakness. Anyone trained to equate suds with cleaning power should unlearn it here.
The 'Vitamin' and 'Hydrating' parts of the name are delivered sensibly. Niacinamide is the lead vitamin, with vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), supporting tone and the barrier. Polyglutamic acid, a fermentation-derived humectant, joins glycerin, diglycerin, and panthenol to leave skin feeling plump and comfortable rather than parched after rinsing, and licorice-derived dipotassium glycyrrhizate and gardenia add a quiet soothing layer. There is also a plant-derived, prickly-pear-sourced PDRN (sodium DNA) — the obligatory nod to the trend ingredient of the moment — plus prickly pear fruit powder for the line theme and a little sweet almond shell powder for the gentlest hint of physical polish. As in any rinse-off product, the PDRN's brief contact time means it is a contemporary garnish, not a workhorse; do not buy this for the PDRN.
The jelly texture is a genuine pleasure — bouncy, soft, pleasant to massage in — and it enables the '2-in-1' use: apply a thick layer to dry, flaky patches, leave it for about a minute as a brief mask, and rinse to noticeably more conditioned skin. It's a small, practical feature that suits the dry-skin audience the cleanser is built for, and the whole formula is fungal-acne safe, which widens who can use it.
The caveats are few and minor. The main one is fragrance: the formula contains a trace of rosemary leaf oil, so it is not strictly fragrance-free. The amount is small and most people will be fine, but anyone who hard-avoids all fragrance, essential oils included, should know it is there — it keeps this from being the no-questions-asked choice for the most reactive skin the rest of the formula would otherwise suit. It is also a very recent launch (early 2026), so its review base is still thin — around 130 reviews averaging 4.4 — and the soft lather will underwhelm anyone attached to a rich foam. It won't remove heavy or waterproof makeup alone either, so it belongs as the second step of a double cleanse there.
At nineteen dollars for 150 mL, with a travel mini available and a tube lasting two to three months, this is sensibly priced — fair for a thoughtfully built, sulfate-free, ceramide-rich gentle cleanser from a brand with a real two-decade record in low-irritation skincare. Cleansers are not where you should chase excitement; they are where you want competence and an absence of side effects. This one clears that bar easily, and then quietly tries to do a little better than 'do no harm.' For dry, sensitive or barrier-stressed skin, that effort is worth rewarding.
The hero actives that drive this product's performance.
| Ingredient | Function | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Ceramide Complex (Ceramide NP, NS, AS, AP, EOP) | Unusually for a cleanser, a full five-ceramide complex with cholesterol and phytosphingosine — the skin's own barrier lipids. In a rinse-off jelly, these help offset the lipid loss that cleansing causes and leave a trace of barrier support behind, so the wash repairs rather than just removes. | Established mechanism for Dryness · established mechanism |
| Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate | A mild, coconut-derived surfactant prized for a creamy, cushioned cleanse and low irritation. It leads a blend of gentle amphoteric and taurate surfactants — no soap, no sulfates — chosen so the jelly cleans effectively while keeping the skin barrier largely intact. | Not yet assessed |
| Niacinamide | The lead 'Vitamin' active, with vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) — it supports the barrier and tone, reinforcing the ceramides so even a quick cleanse leaves skin feeling conditioned rather than stripped. | Established mechanism for Compromised Skin Barrier · established mechanism |
| PDRN (Sodium DNA) | A plant-derived, prickly-pear-sourced PDRN, included as the on-trend polynucleotide active. In a rinse-off cleanser its contact time is brief, so it is a contemporary addition rather than a proven driver of results — paired with prickly pear fruit powder for the line's theme. | Not yet assessed |
| Polyglutamic Acid | A fermentation-derived humectant that holds water at the skin surface — with glycerin and panthenol, it is part of the 'hydrating' promise, helping skin feel plump and comfortable rather than tight after rinsing. | Not yet assessed |
Ingredient standings describe the active at treatment-level doses and vehicles; this product's own condition grades weigh its actual formula.
Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Diglycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sucrose, Coco-Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Shell Powder, Panthenol, Sodium DNA, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Chloride, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Powder, Caprylyl Glycol, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Sodium Phytate, Niacinamide, Dextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Benzoate, Cyanocobalamin, Hexylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Ceramide NP, Ceramide NS, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide AS, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP
cleanser
AM & PM
Use as the first step of a morning routine or the second step of an evening double cleanse. Massage the jelly into a light lather and rinse with lukewarm water. For dry, flaky patches, apply a thick layer and leave it on for about a minute as a mask before rinsing.
Immediate: skin feels clean, soft and comfortable rather than tight after the first wash. Over 1-2 weeks of consistent use, barrier-stressed or easily-tight skin tends to feel more balanced and less reactive after cleansing.
The gentleness of this cleanser follows from its surfactant chemistry. It contains no soap and no sulfate surfactants such as SLS, which are well documented to disrupt the stratum corneum, denature skin proteins and raise transepidermal water loss. Instead it uses sodium cocoyl isethionate, a coconut-derived surfactant repeatedly shown in comparative studies to be among the mildest, alongside gentle amphoteric and taurate surfactants. This is the evidence-based basis for cleansing effectively without significant barrier disruption.
The five-ceramide complex — ceramide NP, NS, AS, AP and EOP with cholesterol and phytosphingosine — reflects the established principle that the skin barrier is built from these lipids in physiologic balance. In a rinse-off context the relevant concept is that cleansing depletes barrier lipids, and co-delivering ceramides offsets that loss; while substantivity from a wash-off product is limited, the net effect is a less depleting cleanse. Niacinamide has strong evidence for barrier support, and polyglutamic acid and glycerin are well-characterized humectants that improve post-cleanse comfort.
Sodium DNA (plant-derived PDRN) is an emerging trend ingredient; its topical evidence is limited and, in a rinse-off product, its brief contact time further constrains any benefit.
The intrinsic limitation, common to all cleansers, is short contact time and removal of most of the product. This formula meaningfully reduces the barrier cost of cleansing and improves after-feel, but no cleanser delivers the sustained ceramide replacement of a leave-on moisturizer. Its evidence-supported role is a gentle, low-disruption, barrier-considerate cleanse.
Cleanser selection is treated as foundational in dermatology, especially for dry, sensitive and barrier-compromised skin. The surfactant profile of this product aligns closely with clinical guidance, which consistently favors mild, sulfate-free, non-soap cleansers over harsher options because they cause less measurable barrier disruption. The inclusion of a ceramide complex is viewed positively in clinical commentary — while clinicians note that a rinse-off product cannot replace a leave-on ceramide moisturizer, co-delivering barrier lipids during cleansing is regarded as a sensible, barrier-considerate approach. Dermatologists generally emphasize lukewarm water, short contact time and prompt moisturizing afterward, all compatible with this cleanser. The one point a dermatologist would likely flag is the rosemary leaf oil: although present in trace amount, essential oils are a recognized potential irritant, and clinical guidance for the most reactive or eczema-prone skin tends to favor strictly fragrance-free formulations. Overall, this would be considered a sound, gentle daily cleanser for most skin, including sensitive skin that tolerates trace botanicals.
On damp skin, take a small amount of the jelly, work it into a light lather with a little water, and massage gently over the face for around 20 to 30 seconds before rinsing with lukewarm water. Use it as a morning cleanser, or as the second, water-based step of an evening double cleanse after an oil cleanser. For dry, rough or flaky areas, apply a thicker layer, avoiding the eyes and lips, and leave it on for about a minute as a brief mask before rinsing. Follow promptly with toner and moisturizer.
At $19 for 150 mL, with a 20 mL travel mini available, this cleanser is fairly priced. With twice-daily use the tube lasts roughly two to three months, keeping the running cost low — the right place for a cleanser to sit. The value rests on genuine formulation quality: a sulfate-free surfactant system and a full five-ceramide complex are a meaningful step above a basic gentle cleanser, and the 2-in-1 mask use adds a little extra utility. Compared with ceramide and barrier-focused gentle cleansers from Western brands, which often run $15 to $35, Klairs's pricing is competitive. The brand's long, trusted record in low-irritation, sensitive-skin formulation supports confidence in the spend. For dry and sensitive skin in particular, a barrier-supporting cleanser at this price is good value.
Anyone with dry, sensitive, normal or barrier-stressed skin who wants a genuinely gentle, non-stripping cleanser that supports rather than depletes the barrier. It suits those who have found foaming cleansers too tight, and who like the idea of a cleanser that doubles as a brief mask for dry patches.
Anyone who strictly avoids all fragrance ingredients, including essential oils, should note the trace of rosemary leaf oil. Those who want a rich, dense foam will find the lather too soft, and anyone needing a single-step heavy makeup remover should pair it with an oil cleanser instead.
Ready to try Klairs Vitamin Hydrating Jelly Mask Cleanser?
Buy at Amazon ♥A bouncy, jelly-like cleanser that works into a light, soft lather. It rinses away cleanly with no filmy residue and leaves skin feeling smooth and cushioned rather than squeaky.
Largely scent-light, with only a faint herbal note from the trace of rosemary leaf oil.
150 mL tube in Klairs's clean design, with a 20 mL miniature size also available. Practical and hygienic; the opaque tube hides how much product remains.
The first wash makes the point clearly — the jelly texture is bouncy and pleasant, it foams softly rather than richly, and rinses to skin that feels clean but soft and comfortable, never tight. There is no sting. Used as a quick thick-layer mask on dry patches, skin feels noticeably more conditioned afterward.
Two to three months washing morning and night
All Year
Klairs built its identity on gentle, low-irritation skincare, and this jelly cleanser, launched in early 2026, applies that to the cleansing step. The bouncy jelly format, prickly pear PDRN and a five-ceramide complex are aimed at people who want a cleanse that leaves the skin barrier better, not just clean.
Dear, Klairs was founded in 2010 in Seoul under Wishcompany, with a philosophy of simple, gentle skincare for sensitive skin. The brand is widely trusted for fragrance-light, low-irritation formulations, and this cleanser carries a sensitive-skin irritation test and vegan certification.
Ceramides in a cleanser are pointless because they rinse off.
Most of any cleanser does rinse away, but a five-ceramide complex still serves a real purpose: it offsets the barrier lipids that cleansing strips, and some can deposit a thin protective residue. It will not replace a ceramide moisturizer, but it meaningfully reduces the lipid loss and tight feeling a wash otherwise causes.
A cleanser needs a rich, abundant foam to clean properly.
Rich foam comes from harsher surfactants, often sulfates, which clean aggressively and strip the barrier. This jelly cleanser uses mild sulfate-free surfactants that foam softly but still remove oil, sunscreen and grime effectively. A gentle, lighter lather is a feature, not a shortfall.
Yes — it is one of the better cleansers for dry skin. It uses mild, sulfate-free surfactants and carries a full five-ceramide complex with cholesterol, so it cleans without the tight, stripped feeling. Dry, flaky patches can also be given a thick layer left on for a minute as a brief mask.
On damp skin, take a small amount, work the jelly into a light lather and massage gently before rinsing with lukewarm water. For areas prone to dryness or rough texture, apply a thicker layer, avoiding the eyes and lips, and leave it on for about a minute as a mask before rinsing.
Not strictly. The formula is largely scent-light, but it contains a trace of rosemary leaf oil, which gives a faint herbal note. For most skin this small amount is unlikely to cause issues, but those who strictly avoid all fragrance ingredients, including essential oils, should be aware of it.
Yes. It works as a morning cleanser on its own and as the second, water-based step of an evening double cleanse, after an oil cleanser or balm has removed makeup and sunscreen. Its gentle, barrier-supporting formula makes it well suited to twice-daily use.
It removes light makeup, daily sunscreen and general grime well. For heavier makeup or water-resistant sunscreen, use it as the second step after an oil-based cleanser, which dissolves stubborn products that a water-based jelly cleanser cannot fully lift on its own.
Recurring themes our editors read across retailer reviews of this product — summaries in our words, not quotations, and not a substitute for your own patch test.
Cleans without the tight, stripped feeling — skin feels soft after
Bouncy jelly texture is pleasant and lathers lightly
Five-ceramide complex is unusual and welcome in a cleanser
Gentle enough for sensitive, barrier-stressed skin
Contains a trace of rosemary leaf oil, so not strictly fragrance-free
Light lather will disappoint fans of a rich foam
PDRN has brief contact time in a rinse-off cleanser
Very new launch with limited long-term feedback
Verified answers from our questions library — the nuance a product page cannot carry.
