The good news is the cleansing technologies have drastically improved over the past 50 years with pH 10 (high alkaline) bar soaps giving tight, stripped feeling evolving to what we have today, which are skin friendly pH 4-6 liquid soaps containing skin benefits depending on the skin concern giving a normal slightly moisturized feel to the skin. Back then, harsh surfactants were primarily used; but as scientific research advanced, harsh surfactants were chemically modified or combined with milder surfactants to minimize harshness. Nowadays, most brands are opting to use blends of mild surfactants.

To pick the best cleanser for you, select one with the right texture for your skin type. Generally, cream textured cleansers are best for dry to severely dry skin. Milk/lotion textures are for normal/combination skin but can be compatible for mildly dry or mildly oily. The gel or foaming textured are usually geared for oily to severely oily skin. Next, look for ingredients in the cleanser to help your skin concerns. These ingredients can be hydrating, moisturizing, oil controlling, brightening, texture refining, acne fighting, anti-aging, or soothing. Lastly, using a moisturizer after cleansing will help offset any minimal damage caused by skin cleansing. Following these tips will help you minimize damage to your skin barrier and promote healthier, happier skin.

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We are going to start with the claim “chemical free”. If you have ever had an opportunity to take a chemistry class, one of the first things you will learn about is how the elements on the periodic table of elements are the building blocks of all the matter (stuff) in the world. When these elements are bonded together to form, they become chemicals. Human bodies are made of carbons, oxygens, nitrogens, and hydrogens along with other elements bonded together, so yes, we are chemicals. Because stuff doesn’t exist without chemical formation, brands claiming their products are chemical free are lying. If they truly had a chemical free product, it wouldn’t exist at all. They would have to sell you nothing to be truthful in communicating this marketing claim.

The second claim, “doesn’t contain toxic chemicals” or “non-toxic chemicals” is also deceptive. If they didn’t want to use any toxic chemicals, they wouldn’t make a product at all, because chemicals can be toxic depending on its concentration, how its in contact with humans, and for how long the exposure is to the chemical. This might be alarming to consumers, but there are regulations and laws set by the FDA in place for the chemicals in cosmetic products to be safe for consumers to use. The following excerpt is from the FDA’s website: “It’s against the law for a cosmetic to contain any ingredient that makes the product harmful when consumers use it according to directions on the label, or in the customary or expected way. This is true whether or not there is a regulation that specifically prohibits or restricts the use of the ingredient in cosmetics.” When brands claim their product is “nontoxic”, it implies that their product is safer than the products are sold by other cosmetic brands that don’t make these claims. In reality, all cosmetic products in the market must be safe to use in the intended way it is supposed to be used. This is the bare minimum work that all brands need to do and it’s not a superior valuable benefit that these brands are trying to communicate. It’s fear mongering their part, and it’s not fair to other brands who rightfully don’t make these claims. In the end, it benefits nobody except their bottom line.

References:

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (2022, February 25). Prohibited & Restricted Ingredients in Cosmetics. U.S. Food And Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/prohibited-restricted-ingredients-cosmetics

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