Gain Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap Original

A concentrated, heavy-duty synthetic dish soap featuring high-performance surfactants and cleaning polymers designed for fast and effective grease cutting.

Performance Rating: 9.6

This formulation achieves an outstanding performance rating of 9.6/10 due to its highly concentrated surfactant system. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) provides exceptional grease-cutting power and high foaming, while C10-16 Alkyldimethylamine Oxide boosts and stabilizes suds. The addition of nonionic surfactants like C9-11 Pareth-8 and Deceth-8 helps to emulsify tough oils, and PEI-14 PEG-24/PPG-16 Copolymer serves as an advanced polymer that prevents soil redeposition. Finally, Alcohol Denat. acts as a solvent to rapidly dissolve residues, ensuring a spotless clean.

Safety Rating: 4.2

The product’s low safety rating of 4.2/10 is primarily due to the inclusion of Methylisothiazolinone, a highly sensitizing preservative linked to allergic contact dermatitis and aquatic toxicity. Furthermore, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a well-known skin and eye irritant that can cause dryness. The presence of synthetic fragrance and artificial colorants like Yellow 5 and Acid Blue 9 increases the likelihood of skin irritation and allergic reactions, making this formulation less ideal for sensitive skin.

Final Rating: 6.8

With a balanced final rating of 6.8/10, this dish soap is a double-edged sword: it offers elite cleaning performance but compromises on safety. It is incredibly effective at removing stubborn grease and baked-on food, but the reliance on irritating surfactants and high-risk preservatives like Methylisothiazolinone severely impacts its safety profile. It is best suited for those prioritizing raw cleaning power over skin-gentle or eco-friendly ingredients.

Verdict

This ingredient list describes a highly effective, industrial-strength synthetic dish soap designed to tackle the toughest grease, grime, and baked-on food residues. The backbone of this formula relies on highly powerful anionic and nonionic surfactants, specifically Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and C10-16 Alkyldimethylamine Oxide. Together, these cleansing agents drastically lower surface tension, create a rich, long-lasting lather, and emulsify heavy oils with ease. The addition of nonionic surfactants like C9-11 Pareth-8 and Deceth-8 further boosts its soil-removal capabilities, ensuring that stubborn food particles slide off effortlessly. To elevate its performance, a specialized cleaning polymer, PEI-14 PEG-24/PPG-16 Copolymer, acts to prevent grease from redepositing on clean surfaces during the wash cycle, resulting in a streak-free, squeaky-clean finish. Meanwhile, Alcohol Denat. and PPG-26 serve as essential solvents to stabilize this highly concentrated formula and allow it to rinse away cleanly without leaving residue. However, this exceptional grease-cutting power comes at a cost to skin health and environmental sustainability. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a notoriously harsh surfactant that strips natural lipids and moisture from the skin barrier, often leaving bare hands feeling tight, dry, and irritated after a session of washing dishes. More concerning for skin health is the presence of Methylisothiazolinone (MIT), a powerful synthetic preservative known to be a strong contact sensitizer that can trigger eczema flare-ups, itchiness, and allergic contact dermatitis. This risk is further heightened by the inclusion of synthetic Fragrance, which can irritate sensitive airways and delicate skin. Aesthetically, the product utilizes synthetic dyes—Yellow 5 and Acid Blue 9—to achieve its bright, appealing color. While these colorants pose no functional issues for dishware, they are unnecessary additives for consumers who prefer clean, plant-based, or minimally processed formulas. Furthermore, ingredients like MIT are highly toxic to aquatic life and do not degrade easily, meaning this formulation is not the most eco-friendly option for those minded toward green living. In summary, this dish soap is an absolute top-tier cleaner for anyone seeking maximum grease-cutting efficiency with minimal scrubbing effort. It is perfect for heavy-duty kitchen cleanups, greasy pots, and pans. However, those with sensitive skin or a preference for eco-friendly products should use gloves or avoid it.

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Ingredient Evaluation

📁 Surfactants (Cleansing Agents) / 表面活性剂(清洁剂)

🧪 Sodium Lauryl Sulfate / 月桂醇硫酸钠

Purpose: Anionic surfactant used to generate rich foam, lift grease, and deeply clean surfaces.

Concerns: Can be drying and highly irritating to the skin and eyes, particularly with prolonged exposure or for those with sensitive skin.

Notes: A very common and highly effective heavy-duty cleaning agent.

🧪 C10-16 Alkyldimethylamine Oxide / C10-16 烷基二甲基氧化胺

Purpose: Amphoteric surfactant that boosts foam volume, stabilizes suds, and assists in removing oily soils.

Concerns: Generally mild, though it may cause minor irritation in high concentrations.

Notes: Commonly used in hand dishwashing liquids to keep the lather stable during cleaning.

🧪 C9-11 Pareth-8 / C9-11 链烷醇聚醚-8

Purpose: Non-ionic surfactant that helps break down tough grease and emulsify oils so they can rinse away.

Concerns: Ethoxylated ingredient; there is a minor risk of trace contamination with manufacturing byproducts like 1,4-dioxane.

Notes: Highly biodegradable and efficient at low temperatures.

🧪 Deceth-8 / 癸醇聚醚-8

Purpose: Non-ionic surfactant used for wetting, dispersing, and helping the soap spread evenly.

Concerns: As an ethoxylated compound, it may contain trace impurities of 1,4-dioxane or ethylene oxide.

Notes: Assists other surfactants in penetrating tough food soils.

📁 Solvents and Carriers / 溶剂与载体

🧪 Water / 水

Purpose: Acts as the liquid base and solvent to dissolve all other ingredients.

Concerns: No known health or environmental concerns.

Notes: Essential carrier for any liquid cleaning formula.

🧪 Alcohol Denat. / 变性乙醇

Purpose: Solvent that helps control the formula’s thickness and ensures it dries quickly without leaving streaks.

Concerns: Can dry out skin with frequent contact.

Notes: Ethanol made unsuitable for drinking through the addition of denaturants.

🧪 PPG-26 / 聚丙二醇-26

Purpose: Solvent, viscosity-controlling agent, and skin conditioner.

Concerns: Considered low risk, though ethoxylated ingredients carry minor impurity concerns.

Notes: Helps maintain a stable and consistent liquid texture.

📁 Performance Enhancers / 性能提升剂

🧪 PEI-14 PEG-24/PPG-16 COPOLYMER / PEI-14 PEG-24/PPG-16 共聚物

Purpose: Cleaning polymer used to prevent soils and grease from redepositing back onto clean dishes during washing.

Concerns: Generally safe, but synthetic polymers can have slower environmental biodegradability.

Notes: Keeps grease suspended in the water so dishes rinse completely clean.

📁 Thickeners and Viscosity Modifiers / 增稠与黏度调节剂

🧪 Sodium Chloride / 氯化钠

Purpose: Viscosity-increasing agent used to thicken the liquid soap.

Concerns: Minimal hazard, but highly concentrated salt solutions can be drying to the skin.

Notes: Common table salt, used in formulations to achieve the desired product thickness.

📁 Preservatives / 防腐剂

🧪 Phenoxyethanol / 苯氧乙醇

Purpose: Broad-spectrum preservative used to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold.

Concerns: Can cause skin irritation or mild allergic reactions in some sensitive individuals.

Notes: A widely accepted, safer alternative to parabens and formaldehyde-releasers.

🧪 Methylisothiazolinone / 甲基异噻唑啉酮

Purpose: Strong preservative used to prevent microbial spoilage of the liquid soap.

Concerns: Known contact sensitizer and allergen that can trigger contact dermatitis.

Notes: Allowed in rinse-off products like dish soaps but heavily restricted in leave-on cosmetics.

📁 Sensory Additives (Aroma & Color) / 感官添加剂(香精与色素)

🧪 Fragrance / 香精

Purpose: Adds a pleasant scent to mask the chemical odors of raw ingredients.

Concerns: Often contains synthetic chemical mixtures that can act as skin sensitizers, respiratory irritants, or allergens.

Notes: Specific fragrance components are usually proprietary and not fully disclosed on the label.

🧪 Yellow 5 / 柠檬黄

Purpose: Synthetic dye used to impart a yellow color to the product.

Concerns: Can cause allergic reactions (such as hives or asthma) in sensitive individuals, particularly those sensitive to aspirin.

Notes: Also known as Tartrazine or CI 19140.

🧪 Acid Blue 9 / 酸性蓝 9

Purpose: Synthetic colorant used to tint the liquid soap.

Concerns: Low hazard in rinse-off products, though rare skin irritation may occur in highly sensitive individuals.

Notes: Also known as Brilliant Blue FCF or CI 42090. Combined with Yellow 5, it often creates green soap.