Advances in Science
As well as providing the basis for beauty, effective cleansing can actually improve the condition of skin, enhance its overall health and keep it younger looking.
The surface of the skin is covered with an intricate pattern of grooves and pores. These grooves and pores provide a perfect environment for dirt and bacteria to collect, which can impair the health and appearance of skin as well as negatively impact the performance of products applied on the skin.
It does not take long for clean skin to become dirty again. Sweat and sebum are constantly being produced and the natural skin renewal process leaves dead skin cells and other debris on the surface of the skin. Add to these natural processes external materials such as dust and atmospheric pollution - as well as cosmetics used for enhancement - and it is easy to understand the importance of regular, thorough cleansing.
These residues not only mar the appearance of the skin; they can also interfere with the absorption of beneficial moisturizing ingredients. Effective cleansing therefore improves both the look and quality of the skin. The poor practices of over-cleansing or under-cleansing can disturb the natural balance of the skin. Harsh products remove skin's natural oils and harm its moisture barrier, causing it to become dry.
Most people fail to realize that water alone is damaging to the skin, especially the warm water that is used while showering. arm water (avg. 104° F) removes natural oils from the skin, which can result in dryness and irritation. Hot water and long showers or baths remove even more oil than warm water. Soaps and other products used to cleanse the skin further this damage, creating the need for innovation in personal cleansing products.1
Today, there are many different types of body washes and facial cleansers available that cater to a variety of skin types and personal preferences. At the same time, the cleansing experience has moved beyond one of sustaining basic hygiene and a ritual for relaxation to be a part of an overall skin care regimen, not only to help improve the way skin looks and feels, but improve skin's overall health.
Cleansing & Skin Biology
The primary goal of cleansing is to remove surface dirt and makeup, dead skin cells and bacteria. When skin looks and feels healthy, it can enhance a person's confidence and self-esteem. But to stay healthy, skin must be adequately hydrated with an intact stratum corneum.
The stratum corneum, the tough, outer layer of the epidermis, consists of 15-20 layers of cells called corneocytes, held together by protein-rich bridges called desmosomes. The spaces between corneocytes are filled with epidermal lipids, or fats. These lipids are key to protecting the skin from from environmental insults such as dust and germs. Lipids also maintain the elastic properties of skin cells to help keep skin supple.
One must consider the unique needs of their skin when selecting a cleanser, and avoid products that may compromise the stratum corneum or which exacerbate existing skin conditions. Some consumers choose cleansing products that are touted as "pH balanced," because of the belief that they are gentler on the skin. However, some scientific literature suggests that pH level is not strongly linked to a skin cleanser's irritancy potential. One researcher postulated that a product's ability to minimize surface oil or cause keratin denaturation has a greater impact on its potential to damage skin than its pH.2 Likewise, cleansing products that deliver skin conditioners and moisturizers can positively improve the health of skin.
Syndets (synthetic detergent soaps) or beauty bars often incorporate moisturizing and conditioning agents, as well as fragrances, water, thickeners, preservatives, and other ingredients. Lipid-containing cleansers have been shown to improve skin's ability to remain healthy in spite of pollutants and other insults in addition to providing effective cleansing and moisturizing to the skin. In fact, many dermatologists consider petrolatum to be the most effective moisturizing ingredient for treating dry skin.3
Implements such as puffs that increase lather, and disposable facial cleansing cloths which supply convenient cleansing, have also been introduced to the market and provide the consumer with a better overall cleansing experience and enhanced ingredient delivery.
Facial Cleansing...
For the optimal care of facial skin, a few basic products that cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, tone, and protect are needed. A good cleanser is one that will clean and moisturize the skin while also helping to exfoliate without being harsh or abrasive. Products with such qualities should be soap-free and may contain beta or alpha hydroxy acids.4
Using a patented technology, P&G Beauty researchers developed a disposable lathering cleansing cloth infused with a facial cleanser and skin conditioning agent. The result is an advanced facial cleansing product that leaves skin feeling clean and smooth, without dryness, tightness or stickiness, and is a pleasure to use, therefore improving compliance. A gentle surfactant system, coupled with the intricate architecture of the cloth's substrate, provides gentle exfoliation as it lifts makeup (including waterproof mascara), dirt, and oils off the skin and locks them in the cloth's fibers. After rinsing, the skin conditioning agent works to improve the stratum corneum lipid bilayer and create a smoother, healthier skin surface. A facial cloth is particularly convenient for women on the run, frequent flyers, and at the gym, and can be stored and used in the shower for even greater convenience.
Scanning electron microscope images show the fibers of a clean cleansing cloth (top), and a cloth after cleansing (bottom), whereby the fibers have trapped and retained makeup and dirt from the skin.
...What Works
According to research, there are a variety of facial cleansing regimens that can be used to effectively cleanse and condition, including:
- Foaming Cleansers - 100% soap-free and oil-free facial cleansers work well to thoroughly cleanse the skin without overdrying. Most are designed to remove dirt, oil and makeup, and some have special ingredients such as a dual hydroxy complex to fight blemishes and reveal newer skin.
- Facial Scrubs - comprised of skin-smoothing microbeads and skin cleansers to exfoliate and deep clean. Applied with the fingers and rinsed off, scrubs remove dead cells and dirt through gentle exfoliation.
- Facial cleansing cloths - work to cleanse, tone, exfoliate and condition skin in one step. Variety of formulas available to match the needs of individual skin types.6
Body Cleansing...
What is the most common cause of dry skin? Soap and water. It sounds too simple, but it is true. The most common reason people have itchy, rough, uncomfortable skin is the damage done by soap and water. For this reason, it is important to carefully select the cleanser to be used on the body.
The first cleansers developed for the body were bar soaps that produced excellent cleansing, but were quite drying, especially for people already bothered by dry skin. This led to the development of beauty bars, which provide excellent cleansing, but are not quite moisturizing enough for dry skin.
Another force driving development of the new-generation moisturizing body washes is the sheer magnitude of dry skin problems, which affect all ethnic groups and ages around the world.7 Psychosocially, dry skin reduces skin beauty and self-confidence because it accentuates other skin flaws and is often accompanied by a compromised skin barrier.
Surveys show that more than half of female consumers who wash with soap, syndet or beauty bars must apply moisturizing lotion afterward to counteract their drying side effects.8, 9 This may be an additional post-cleansing step that women skip due to time and convenience. However, by not repairing the damaged stratum corneum, they can unknowingly set up a cycle of irritation and dryness. This cycle can be interrupted by using a gentle cleansing product with a moisturizing ingredient to replenish epidermal lipids.
Thanks to their cleansing power, aroma, and capacity to generate a luxurious lather, body washes have been growing in consumer popularity. Body washes represent an improvement in the cleaning experience in that they can provide cleansing and moisturization in one step. Body washes are best used with a specially-designed body cleansing puff. The puff allows water and air to mix with the liquid cleanser, which can then be applied to the entire body. Dirt is removed by the body wash and rinsed down the drain while skin conditioners remain behind to provide moisturization.10
Studies on leg skin show that application of a petrolatum based moisturizing body wash with a puff leaves the skin smoother than hand application.11 One possible explanation is that the puff provides mild exfoliation without damaging the skin. There also may be an indirect effect resulting from more efficient lather generation. Unlike washcloths, puffs quickly mix a small dab of cleanser with air and water to produce a generous and aromatic lather and invigorating washing experience that consumers have come to expect from body washes.
...What Works
Today's moisturizing body washes deposit a high level of lipids to protect and beautify the skin. For example, petrolatum - a commonly used lipid - has the ability to aid in the restoration of the barrier function of the stratum corneum, therefore improving skin's overall health. It is this barrier that is defective in dry skin. Petrolatum-containing body washes are especially important to people with dry skin to restore the skin barrier while providing hygienic cleansing. They can also be used by persons with normal skin who wish to maintain skin's health.12
Treating Skin Conditions
Stratum corneum lipid structure reflects skin health and is impacted by age, environmental insults, skin condition, and cosmetic treatments such as personal cleansers. The petrolatum-delivering body wash ameliorates dry skin appearance and can help to improve or maintain skin health through its effect on stratum corneum lipids. The benefit of a petrolatum-depositing body wash over a syndet or beauty bar plus lotion can be seen across age groups, with varying degrees of dry skin, as the following images indicate.13
Dry Skin on Knees and Elbows
Lipid-depositing body wash significantly improves dry knee and elbow skin, which may become cracked and painful over time without treatment.14
Ashy, Dry African American Skin
In clinical testing, leg washing with petrolatum-depositing body wash reduced visible dryness and improved stratum corneum hydration significantly better than a leading syndet bar. After using the body wash, subjects reported less skin ashiness and dryness, increased softness and smoothness, and that skin looked and felt like no additional moisturizer was needed.15
Psychosocially, after using the moisturizing body wash for 4 weeks, all subjects strongly agreed or agreed with the following statements:
- 78 percent felt good about themselves, based on appearance of skin on legs (vs. 33 percent for the control group)
- 83 percent were satisfied with the appearance of their leg skin (vs. 29 percent for the control group)
- 78 percent were confident in letting others see their legs (vs. 33 percent for the control group)
Eczema
A clinical study shows significantly more patients who used a petrolatum-depositing body wash for dry skin, in conjunction with a medium-potency topical corticosteroid, showed improvement and clearing of their eczema compared with patients using a high-potency topical corticosteroid and leading syndet bar.16
84 PERCENT OF WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD SAY THAT THE IDEAL CLEANSING PRODUCT WOULD MOISTURIZE THEIR SKIN.
P&G Beauty worldwide survey results, 2002-2004