Antibacterial Cleansers
Government studies have shown antibacterial cleansers to be no more effective against bacteria than plain soap and water.
Also, they may disrupt the normal bacterial balance of the skin. More and more evidence substantiates that this symbiotic relationship of human skin and the microorganisms living on it is important for skin health and decreasing many types of skin diseases related to infectious processes, such as acne and rosacea.
Cleansing Balms and Oils
Cleansing balms and cleansing oils have a high lipid content designed to preserve or replenish the skin barrier. With a consistency ranging from an oil-rich lotion to greasy, they could be temporarily useful in winter or dry environments but an inadvisable year-round choice. They may contain lipids very different from those found normally in the skin barrier, leaving an un-natural lipid residue that can interfere with makeup application and contribute to congested pores and acne breakouts. Dry skin types often initially like balms and oils; however, it is important to include adequate exfoliation, nutrition and thorough cleansing in the comprehensive skin regime.
These cleansers may dissolve makeup well, but not remove it effectively from the skin’s surface because adequate rinsing is not possible.
Cleansing Wipes
A cleanser without the addition of any water will dissolve the dirt in the oily portion of the soap molecule only and remove it onto the wipe. Therefore, the dirt will be incompletely removed from the skin if water is not used to adequately rinse the dirt away. These time-saving cleansers actually require a double cleansing.
Micellar Waters
These cleansers are composed mostly of water in which tiny micelles particles are suspended with saponification agents arranged with their lipid-rich ends inside and water-loving ends pointed outward. The interior lipid-loving part of the molecule absorbs oily dirt and suspends it in the water-rich environment. Surface dirt and epithelial debris can then be wiped off or rinsed off with very little water. However, micellar waters are sometimes inefficient at removing dirt and makeup, necessitating further rinsing or a “double cleansing.” Due to their higher oil content, micellar waters may also increase oiliness and worsen acne.
“Sulfate-free” Cleansers
Some cleansers containing sulfates are safe. The consumer concerns about toxicity, especially related to baby cleansers, centered around government findings that some sulfate cleansers could be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane above the safe level. Dioxanes are potential carcinogens, and some cleaning products were found to contain these above the safe level of 20 ppm.
What to Recommend?
In the treatment room and at home, adequate cleansing and removal of dirt and epithelial debris is a must. Cleansing should be done with large amounts of water to adequately cleanse. This is especially true for exfoliating procedures during which devitalized stratum corneum cells are removed.
There may be special situations in which specialized cleansers using little water are advantageous, such as camping or sports activities, where minimal clean water may be available. Other than these occasional exceptions, skin health is best served by adequate removal of dirt and debris, and this requires adequate rinsing off of the cleanser.
Government studies have shown antibacterial cleansers to be no more effective against bacteria than plain soap and water.
Also, they may disrupt the normal bacterial balance of the skin. More and more evidence substantiates that this symbiotic relationship of human skin and the microorganisms living on it is important for skin health and decreasing many types of skin diseases related to infectious processes, such as acne and rosacea.
Cleansing balms and cleansing oils have a high lipid content designed to preserve or replenish the skin barrier. With a consistency ranging from an oil-rich lotion to greasy, they could be temporarily useful in winter or dry environments but an inadvisable year-round choice. They may contain lipids very different from those found normally in the skin barrier, leaving an un-natural lipid residue that can interfere with makeup application and contribute to congested pores and acne breakouts. Dry skin types often initially like balms and oils; however, it is important to include adequate exfoliation, nutrition and thorough cleansing in the comprehensive skin regime.
These cleansers may dissolve makeup well, but not remove it effectively from the skin’s surface because adequate rinsing is not possible.
Cleansing Wipes
A cleanser without the addition of any water will dissolve the dirt in the oily portion of the soap molecule only and remove it onto the wipe. Therefore, the dirt will be incompletely removed from the skin if water is not used to adequately rinse the dirt away. These time-saving cleansers actually require a double cleansing.
Micellar Waters
These cleansers are composed mostly of water in which tiny micelles particles are suspended with saponification agents arranged with their lipid-rich ends inside and water-loving ends pointed outward. The interior lipid-loving part of the molecule absorbs oily dirt and suspends it in the water-rich environment. Surface dirt and epithelial debris can then be wiped off or rinsed off with very little water. However, micellar waters are sometimes inefficient at removing dirt and makeup, necessitating further rinsing or a “double cleansing.” Due to their higher oil content, micellar waters may also increase oiliness and worsen acne.
“Sulfate-free” Cleansers
Some cleansers containing sulfates are safe. The consumer concerns about toxicity, especially related to baby cleansers, centered around government findings that some sulfate cleansers could be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane above the safe level. Dioxanes are potential carcinogens, and some cleaning products were found to contain these above the safe level of 20 ppm.
What to Recommend?
In the treatment room and at home, adequate cleansing and removal of dirt and epithelial debris is a must. Cleansing should be done with large amounts of water to adequately cleanse. This is especially true for exfoliating procedures during which devitalized stratum corneum cells are removed.
There may be special situations in which specialized cleansers using little water are advantageous, such as camping or sports activities, where minimal clean water may be available. Other than these occasional exceptions, skin health is best served by adequate removal of dirt and debris, and this requires adequate rinsing off of the cleanser.
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