Product: pHisoderm deep cleaning cream face cleanser, $4.79 for 6 fluid ounces, at Wal-Mart and Albertson's.

Key ingredients: sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), disodium ricinoleamido MEA-sulfosuccinate, vitamin E, aloe and chamomile.

The pitch: Cleans face without drying skin; helps complexion maintain ideal pH balance.

Pros: This is soap-free and many dermatologists advise against using body soap on faces because it's too harsh, according to a guide put out by the American Academy of Dermatology. Despite recent concerns that beauty products containing SLS cause cancer, it is considered an ''unlikely carcinogen'' by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Cons: A study in England published in the November 1996 issue of Contact Dermatitis warned some people have had allergic contact dermatitis from disodium ricinoleamido MEA-sulfosuccinate in shampoo.

Bottom line: Beats harsh soaps for cleaning the face, but be careful which pHisoderm product you pick; some contain salicylic acid, which can cause an allergic reaction and dry skin in some people.

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