cleansing: the first step of a skincare routine.
Disclaimer: all opinions are my own and based on my personal research. believe what you see fit, but stay educated luvs !! <3
You! Yes, you. PUT THE SHAMPOO DOWN!! And you! DROP THE HAND SOAP!!! In this post, I will teach you why cleansing your face with these products is so wrong, and what you should be doing instead.
Shampoo, as delicious as it might smell, is not formulated to be on your facial skin. The skin of the face is much more sensitive and much thinner than the scalp. For this reason, there needs to be different products for different skins. The same goes for the body. The thicker skin of the body is more resilient to some surfactants. WOAH WOAH WOAH. What the heck are you talking about, Mia?! I know what you’re all thinking. What is a surfactant?
Surfactants come in many different forms. They are amphiphilic, meaning that one part is water soluble and the other is oil soluble or hydrophobic. There are four types of surfactants: Anionic, Cationic, Nonionic, and Zwitterionic (which can also go by other names). The ones used in skincare are Anionic, Amphoteric, and Nonionic surfactants.♥ Surfactants as cleansing agents work by absorbing where the hydrophilic head is in water and the hydrophobic tail is in oil or air. The micelles formed will absorb the oil and dirt on the skin.♥♥ This is called critical micelle concentration. The concentration of surfactants at which this happens determines the concentration of the cleansing ingredient used.♥♥♥ Anionic surfactants include harsh detergents called sulfates. Examples are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)♥♥♥♥ and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).♥♥♥♥♥ These surfactants are the most common cleaning chemical, but they are also very strong. These sulfates are more sensitizing and irritating on the skin for that reason.♥♥♥♥♥♥ I choose to avoid these ingredients even if SLES is not as bad as SLS because both strip my oils too much and cause dryness in my skin. On that note, it isn’t poisonous. I would advise to stay away from both, but if SLES works fine and doesn’t have any side effects on you, then go ahead. Just educate yourself and be aware of the risks. Another reason why I do not like them is because of how cheap they are. When I see SLS in a formulation I think that the company doesn’t want to use a better alternative for the customer and only wants to quickly produce more products. The other case could be that the formulations are outdated and their labs are not looking for innovative formulas.
The next type of surfactant used are Amphoteric surfactants.♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ These are more versatile because of their ability to adapt the pH of water. These are more gentle on the skin. Some of these include ingredients like sulfonates or plant derived surfactants. Because they are a hybrid of Anionic and cationic surfactants ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, they are better suited for the facial skin and do not strip the skin of too many oils. They clean, but do not overdo it.
The last surfactant I will talk about is Nonionic surfactants. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ These are mainly used as stabilizers or emulsifiers in cosmetics. Simple nonionic surfactants include fatty alcohols such as cetearyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol. These types of surfactants do not produce a lather. These are used in most products for their versatile nature. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I mentioned pH when discussing Amphoteric surfactants and how they balance the pH of water. This is very important. Firstly, pH means potential of hydrogen, the hydrogen ions in water. Hydrogen makes up two thirds of water, as we know in H2o. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ pH is measured in a scale that measures the acid-alkaline ratio of a substance. It ranges from 0-14. Anything below 7 is more acidic and anything above 8 is more alkaline. Water has a pH of 7, which is considered neutral. The skin’s natural pH is more acidic, at average 4.7 to 5. When we stray away too much from the skin’s natural pH transepidermal water loss, the process by which our skin loses water, increases. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Another negative outcome is from using soaps that are too alkaline, like anionic surfactants. This is a more common issue in bar soaps. This problem with balancing the skin’s pH was more of a problem in the past, where cosmetic formulators were not aware of the effect of high pH soaps on the skin. Thus, came toners. Luckily, now cosmetic formulators know how important keeping the skin’s pH at its natural level is and most products have a balanced pH suitable for the skin.
Another reason you should avoid using harsh shampoos on your face is fragrance. Fragrance is commonly used in skincare for its experience and to differentiate a company’s products from another. On an ingredient label it is listed as “Fragrance/parfum”, essential oils, or other components such as Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool. Fragrance can increase sensitivity and irritation in the skin as well as making the skin more photosensitive. This is horrible because we are trying to protect ourselves from the sun, not be more susceptible to damage by it. It can also lead to more serious issues in some people like contact dermatitis, and it can worsen eczema. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ This is especially problematic for those with sensitive skin. In this case, because we are discussing cleansing products the risks of these problems are lower since it will be washed off. However, it is still something to be aware of. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Hand Soap...I just. I cannot fathom why either shampoo or hand soap would go on your face. At all. But, sadly people still do it. Hand soap also has very harsh and alkaline surfactants and fragrances as most shampoos, but even more because it is made to kill 99.9% of bacteria. It can have drying alcohols at high concentrations as well.
A cleanser should not kill all the bacteria on your face, and it should not strip your skin of its natural oils. A good cleanser should cleanse off dirt, sweat, and excess sebum accumulated throughout the day as well as any residual makeup or sunscreen. I say throughout the day, because cleansing in the morning is not completely necessary. The less surfactants, the better for a stringer skin barrier. However, if you feel that your skin is very sticky and oily in the morning, then it is alright to use a very gentle hydrating cleanser. While shopping for a facial cleanser and figuring out if it is a good one, take Liah Yoo’s advice and follow this checklist:
1) Is it similar to your skin’s pH?
1) Is it similar to your skin’s pH?
A good balance is at 5.5. Harsher surfactants tend to bring an imbalance to the skin’s natural pH. This is why choosing a pH balanced cleanser can be more suitable and gentler on the skin. Choosing something that will not throw off the skin’s pH will ensure a healthier and stronger skin barrier.
2) Does it use gentle surfactants?
2) Does it use gentle surfactants?
Sulfates tend to be abrasive to the skin, but there are effective alternatives that are more gentle and are not abrasive on the skin’s barrier. These include:
3) Does your skin feel hydrated after cleansing?
- Sodium cocoyl isethionate
- Alkyl sulfosuccinates
- coco betaine, coco glucoside, decyl glucoside
- Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
- Cocamidopropyl betaine
Cleansers should be gentle and respect the skin’s barrier. They should also help hydrate the skin instead of strip it. After cleansing, your skin should not feel tight or dry and stripped. The skin should feel normal and hydrated.
Good choices for cleansers for each skin type:
oily/combination
I used this one and it was very gentle, even when my skin was irritated it helped heal it.
oily/combination
Skincare By Hyram loves this but it is better for oilier skin types
combination
I used this one and I really like how it made my skin feel: supple and hydrated
I use this for my acne and I love it sooo much. It’s effective without stripping my skin and I feel nice and hydrated. :)
For more developed acne
Very gentle and amazing texture. When I use it my face feels so moisturized afterwards.
Dry
All skin types, very simple and fragrance free
She’s amazing. We love her. Nothing else needs to be said she is just that B*tch.
Cheap and effective for anyone :)
New release from one of my favorite brands !! It has very promising ingredients, I think it would be good for all skin types because it is very gentle.
- ✧༺♥༻∞ ∞༺♥༻✧
SOURCES:
♥♥♥♥ https://www.paulaschoice.com/ingredient-dictionary/thickeners-emulsifiers/sodium-lauryl-sulfate.html?fdid=ingredient-dictionary&crefn1=name-first-letter&crefv1=S&csortb1=name&csortd1=1
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