Cleanser skincare products are more than just a way to remove dirt and makeup. They are outcomes of scientific innovation and contain surfactants and cleansing agents. Surfactants may damage protein structures and solubilize lipids.
Soaps are the oldest surfactants and are quite aggressive. Harsh surfactants in cleansers can damage skin proteins and lipids, leading to tightness, dryness, barrier damage, irrigation, and even itch after the wash.
Synthetic detergents and surfactant types are anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and non-ionic.
Cleansers should minimize surfactant damage by depositing and delivering beneficial agents such as occlusives, skin lipids, and humectants under wash conditions to improve skin hydration. Cleansers are available in creams, foams, oils, balms, micellar waters, and wipes. They contain multiple ingredients, including carrier oils, used as a base for other products. They contain:
· Exfoliants – chemical and physical
· Hydrating ingredients such as glycerin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid
· Vitamins and anti-aging ingredients like retinol, a vitamin A derivative that stimulates collagen production in the skin.
We have cleansers that are attracted to water or oil. The former are called hydrophilic, and the latter are called lipophilic.
Surfactants that interact minimally with both skin lipids and proteins are especially mild. Cleansers with close to normal or acidic pH of around 5.5 are less damaging to the skin. Hydrating ingredients replenish the skin's lipids during the wash period. (Ananthapadmanabhan, K P. et al., 2004)
Let us examine the ingredients used in surfactants.
Anionic ingredients
Surfactants are used in cleansers, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and industrial chemicals. When they dissolve in water, they lower the interfacial tension, which helps them clean. Some of the popular ionic surfactants used in skin cleansers include:
Sodium C14-16 alpha olefin sulfonate is one of the mildest surfactants. It is poorly absorbed into the skin and is regarded as one of the safest and most environmentally friendly ingredients used in hair care products and sometimes in skincare and cosmetics.
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate is also mild and is used in hair care products, shaving creams, and cleansers for babies or sensitive skin. It produces a great lather and has great foaming properties.
Used as a cleansing agent in hair care products and sometimes in skincare and cosmetics.
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Benzalkonium chloride are the two prominent surfactants used in the market.
Some popular anionic surfactants used in skin cleansers, body wash, and other associated products include:
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a popular cleansing agent in many products, including facial cleansers, shampoos, and body washes. It is produced from coconut, palm kernel, or petroleum. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) has good cleansing power but can irritate the skin and eyes. It is a foaming agent that traps oil and dirt from the skin and hair, which can be rinsed away with water. The chemical is generally safe but can sometimes cause allergies. (Bondi, C A. et al., 2015). It is best to use moisturizers after using cleansers. (De Paepe, K. et al., 2002)
Several other ionic ingredients are used in skin cleansers. These include sodium lauryl sulfoacetate, sodium cocoyl glycinate, disodium/sodium cocoyl glutamate, decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, and sodium cocoyl isethionate.
Anionic surfactants are often combined with non-ionic and amphoteric surfactants to reduce their irritancy potential. Biosurfactants, surface-active molecules derived from natural sources, are another option that can be as effective as sulfates but are gentler on the skin and environmentally friendly.
Nonionic ingredients
These ingredients are well suited for use on the face because they are nontoxic to the eye and milder than anionic and cationic surfactants. The commonly used nonionic surfactants in skin cleansers are Poloxamer 188, Pluronic F 68, Declyglucoside, and alkyl ethers or polyethylene glycol. These ingredients are more appropriate for wound care.
These surfactants are more biocompatible than other types. They effectively remove oils due to their low foaming and penetrative wetting abilities. These ingredients act as emulsifiers and foaming agents; they are stable and maintain a pH up to the physiological pH of 7.35 to 7.45, which is ideal for biological processes, including blood oxygenation.
Surfactants are used in many products besides cleansers, including shampoos, toothpaste, body washes, and cosmetics. Prolonged use of strong or harsh surfactants should be avoided because they can permanently alter the cell structure of the skin surface.
Poloxamer 188, for instance, is a synthetic copolymer molecule used in facial cleansers and other skincare products. It helps water mix with oil and dirt on the skin, allowing it to be rinsed away. It is a foam booster or stabilizer that helps create stable products, prevents the growth of microorganisms, and extends the shelf life of products. The ingredients can keep makeup from caking and the skin from drying.
Cationic ingredients
These harsh surfactants are commonly used in household products rather than skin cleansers. They can damage the skin, especially if the skin barrier is already damaged. However, they make good conditioners, particularly in hair care products.
Amphoteric ingredients
These are less irritating to the skin and eyes and are commonly used in gentle cleansers for sensitive skin, baby products, and facial cleansers. They are also used in hair shampoos, conditioners, liquid soaps, shower gels, and creams. Cocamidopropyl betaine, lauryl betaine, sodium cocoamphoacetate, and disodium cocoamphodiacetate are some of the more popular ingredients.
You can use the information to check the ingredients list on your cleanser product and pick the one that works best for you.
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