What Is a Syndet Cleanser? Why PASTÈSE™ Cleanses Differently

Updated October 2026 · By Steinder Weisen · Reading time: 7 minutes

Key takeaways

A syndet is a “synthetic detergent” cleanser. It cleanses without soap, at a skin-friendly pH, and is far gentler on the barrier than traditional soap. Most cleansing balms rely on emulsifiers that turn oil into a milky rinse but do little actual cleansing. PASTÈSE™ is built around sodium cocoyl isethionate, a mild syndet surfactant that lifts away sunscreen, long-wear makeup and oil, then rinses clean. Its oils include C12-15 alkyl benzoate, the same solvent sunscreens use to dissolve their UV filters, which makes it unusually good at breaking down SPF. Papaya and pineapple extracts contribute natural protein-dissolving enzymes for gentle resurfacing. Donkey milk and sandalwood bring history and ritual, alongside a lipid network that keeps skin soft rather than tight.

What is a syndet cleanser?

A syndet, short for “synthetic detergent,” is a cleanser that uses mild, non-soap surfactants instead of traditional soap. Soap is made by reacting fats with a strong alkali, and it typically has a pH of around 9 to 10, well above the skin’s natural pH of roughly 4.5 to 5.5. That alkalinity can disrupt the skin’s acid mantle, bind to skin proteins and strip barrier lipids. This is why traditional soap often leaves skin feeling tight and squeaky. Syndets were developed to cleanse effectively while working closer to the skin’s own pH. Dermatologists have long recommended them for dry, sensitive and barrier-compromised skin, because they remove dirt and oil with much less disruption to the stratum corneum, the skin’s outer protective layer.

What makes PASTÈSE™ different from other cleansing balms?

Most cleansing balms are oils thickened with waxes, plus emulsifiers. When you add water, the emulsifiers turn the oil into a milky liquid so it can be rinsed off. That milky stage looks like cleansing, but emulsifiers mainly help oil mix with water. They don’t cleanse much, so sunscreen, pigment and oil can remain on the skin as a film. That’s why many people follow a balm with a second, foaming cleanser.

PASTÈSE™ takes a different approach. Its cleansing power comes from sodium cocoyl isethionate, a true syndet surfactant derived from coconut fatty acids. It’s one of the mildest surfactants used in skincare and the backbone of many syndet bars. As you massage PASTÈSE™ onto dry skin, it moves from a softly grainy pâte into a silky oil, and the oils begin dissolving makeup and sunscreen. When you add water, it emulsifies into a cleansing milk, and the isethionate actively lifts that dissolved residue off the skin so it rinses away cleanly. The formula does include supporting emulsifiers such as sorbitan olivate and lecithin, which help create that smooth milk. The difference is that cleansing doesn’t depend on them alone. The result is the thoroughness of a double cleanse in a single step, without the tight, stripped feeling a second foaming cleanser often leaves.

Why is sodium cocoyl isethionate good for cleansing?

Sodium cocoyl isethionate is valued in skincare because it cleanses effectively while staying gentle on the barrier. It’s a large molecule that penetrates the skin’s outer layer less than harsher surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate, so it’s less likely to cause dryness, irritation or protein damage. It also works close to the skin’s natural pH and leaves a soft, conditioned feel instead of a squeaky one. It’s naturally a solid, which allows PASTÈSE™ to be made without water and gives the pâte its distinctive soft-grain texture. For dry, mature, sensitive or barrier-compromised skin, that combination of real cleansing power and low irritation is exactly what a daily cleanser should offer.

Why does PASTÈSE™ remove sunscreen and makeup so well?

Modern sunscreens and long-wear makeup are deliberately built to stay put. They’re water resistant, transfer resistant and made with film-forming polymers and finely dispersed pigments. Removing them properly takes the right solvents, and this is where the PASTÈSE™ oil phase was carefully chosen.

The first ingredient is C12-15 alkyl benzoate, a lightweight emollient that sunscreen formulators rely on to dissolve UV filters. Because it’s so effective at dissolving those filters, it’s also effective at breaking them down again during cleansing. Meadowfoam seed oil is an unusually stable oil with long-chain fatty acids that resists going rancid and leaves a soft, non-greasy feel. Radish seed oil is lightweight and spreads easily, much like a silicone, helping the formula glide over and dissolve long-wear foundation and pigments. Shea butter, beeswax, tribehenin, hydrogenated vegetable oil and silica dimethyl silylate give the pâte its structure and slow melt, so it stays on your skin while you massage instead of sliding off. Together, the solvent oils loosen sunscreen and makeup, the isethionate lifts them away, and the conditioning lipids leave skin comfortable. That matters most with mineral sunscreens, whose zinc oxide particles are often coated to resist water and can linger after a quick rinse.

How do papaya and pineapple enzymes exfoliate skin?

PASTÈSE™ contains papaya fruit extract and pineapple fruit extract, natural sources of two well-known proteolytic, or protein-dissolving, enzymes: papain from papaya and bromelain from pineapple. The skin’s surface is made of dead cells called corneocytes, held together by protein bonds. Normally these bonds break down on their own and the cells shed invisibly, but with age, dryness and hormonal change that natural shedding slows, leaving skin looking dull and rough. Proteolytic enzymes help loosen those protein bonds so the dead cells release more easily. Unlike acids, enzymes act only on the surface and don’t change the skin’s pH. Unlike scrubs, they don’t involve abrasive particles. That makes enzymatic exfoliation one of the gentlest ways to refine texture, which is ideal in a daily cleanser. Because PASTÈSE™ contains no water, the enzymes stay dormant in the jar and become active once you add water during the cleansing milk stage.

What is the history of donkey milk in skincare?

Donkey milk has one of the longest histories of any beauty ingredient. Ancient accounts say Cleopatra bathed in it. The Roman writer Pliny the Elder recorded that Poppaea Sabina, wife of the emperor Nero, kept a herd of donkeys so she could bathe in their milk daily, believing it softened the skin and kept it youthful. Hippocrates, often called the father of medicine, recommended donkey milk for a range of ailments. For centuries, it was treated as one of the most precious substances available for skin.

Modern science offers a closer look at why. Donkey milk is naturally rich in lipids, proteins, amino acids, minerals and oligosaccharides. It also contains notably high levels of lysozyme and lactoferrin, two proteins that are part of the body’s innate defense system. Lysozyme and lactoferrin are studied for their antimicrobial activity, and milk oligosaccharides are studied for how they interact with beneficial microorganisms. That’s why researchers are interested in donkey milk’s potential to help support a balanced skin microbiome, the community of microorganisms that lives on the skin and helps protect the barrier. The research on topical use is still emerging. Still, the components that made donkey milk legendary are the same ones scientists are studying today, and PASTÈSE™ includes donkey milk powder to bring that ancient ritual into a modern, barrier-conscious formula.

Why is sandalwood considered cooling in Ayurveda?

In Ayurveda, India’s traditional system of medicine, sandalwood, or chandana, is one of the most revered botanicals. It’s classified as having a sheeta virya, or cooling potency, and is traditionally used to calm pitta, the dosha associated with heat, fire and inflammation. In Ayurvedic practice, sandalwood paste has been applied to the skin for centuries to soothe heat, redness and irritation, and to calm the mind during ritual and meditation. Modern research has begun to explore this tradition. Studies of alpha-santalol, the main compound in Santalum album oil, have examined its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties on the skin. In PASTÈSE™, sandalwood adds a warm, grounding scent that, along with lavender oil, turns cleansing into a slow evening ritual rather than a rushed step.

What else is in PASTÈSE™?

The rest of the formula protects both the skin and the oils. Lecithin is a phospholipid similar to the lipids in the skin’s own barrier, and it helps keep the cleansing milk smooth and conditioning. Tocopheryl acetate, a form of vitamin E, and rosemary leaf extract are antioxidants that help protect the plant oils from oxidation, keeping the formula fresh and stable without water.

How do you use PASTÈSE™?

Massage PASTÈSE™ onto dry skin in slow circular movements until the pâte melts into a silky oil, giving the oils time to dissolve makeup and sunscreen. Then add lukewarm water to turn it into a cleansing milk, which also activates the enzymes. Rinse thoroughly or remove with a soft, damp cloth, and avoid the eye area. PASTÈSE™ can be used morning and evening, and it’s the first step of The Layland Method™, our signature skin cycle protocol. It’s designed to leave skin clean, soft and ready for the treatments that follow.

Shop PASTÈSE™ → · 1 oz / 30 g · $111

Frequently asked questions

What is a syndet cleanser? A syndet, short for “synthetic detergent,” is a soap-free cleanser that uses mild surfactants and works closer to the skin’s natural pH. It cleanses effectively with less disruption to the skin barrier than traditional soap.

Is sodium cocoyl isethionate good for sensitive skin? Yes. Sodium cocoyl isethionate is one of the mildest surfactants used in skincare. It cleanses effectively while being less likely than harsher surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate to cause dryness or irritation.

What is the difference between a syndet balm and a regular cleansing balm? Most cleansing balms rely on emulsifiers that turn oil into a rinseable milk but provide little real cleansing, which can leave residue behind. A syndet balm like PASTÈSE™ adds a true cleansing surfactant, sodium cocoyl isethionate, that lifts makeup, sunscreen and oil off the skin so it rinses clean in one step.

Do I need to double cleanse with PASTÈSE™? No. PASTÈSE™ combines makeup- and SPF-dissolving oils with a syndet surfactant, so it gives the thoroughness of a double cleanse in a single step.

What do papaya and pineapple enzymes do for skin? Papaya and pineapple are natural sources of papain and bromelain, proteolytic enzymes that loosen the protein bonds holding dead skin cells together. This gives gentle exfoliation without acids or abrasive scrubs.

Why is donkey milk used in skincare? Donkey milk has a long beauty history, from Cleopatra to Poppaea Sabina. It’s rich in lipids, proteins, minerals and oligosaccharides, and contains lysozyme and lactoferrin, which researchers are studying for their potential to support a balanced skin microbiome.

Is sandalwood cooling for the skin? In Ayurveda, sandalwood is classified as cooling and is traditionally used to calm heat and irritation. Modern research has examined alpha-santalol, its main compound, for soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.