Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and Syndets
Products designed to cleanse the skin commonly do so through surfactant action, which leads to the lowering of the surface tension of the skin to facilitate the removal of dirt from its surface. Skin cleansers generally come in one of two types: soap-based and synthetic detergents, or syndets. While...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/6/2010 |
| _version_ | 1797444230824591360 |
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| author | Dalibor Mijaljica Fabrizio Spada Ian P. Harrison |
| author_facet | Dalibor Mijaljica Fabrizio Spada Ian P. Harrison |
| author_sort | Dalibor Mijaljica |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Products designed to cleanse the skin commonly do so through surfactant action, which leads to the lowering of the surface tension of the skin to facilitate the removal of dirt from its surface. Skin cleansers generally come in one of two types: soap-based and synthetic detergents, or syndets. While the latter can effectively maintain the native skin structure, function and integrity, the former tends to negatively affect the skin by causing barrier disruption, lipid dissolution and pH alteration. Despite this, soap is still often preferred, possibly due to the negative connotations around anything that is not perceived as ‘natural’. It is, therefore, important that the science behind cleansers, especially those designed for the maintenance of healthy skin and the management of common skin conditions such as eczema, be understood by both formulators and end-users. Here, we carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of surfactant—the key ingredient(s) in skin cleansers—and provide insight into surfactants’ physicochemical properties, biological activity and potential effects. Fine-tuning of the complex characteristics of surfactants can successfully lead to an ‘optimal’ skin cleanser that can simultaneously be milder in nature, highly effective and beneficial, and offer minimal skin interference and environmental impact. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:08:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62390baa8da644678a352bd84a5d1649 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:08:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-62390baa8da644678a352bd84a5d16492023-11-30T21:44:36ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492022-03-01276201010.3390/molecules27062010Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and SyndetsDalibor Mijaljica0Fabrizio Spada1Ian P. Harrison2Department of Scientific Affairs, Ego Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd., 21–31 Malcolm Road, Braeside, VIC 3195, AustraliaDepartment of Scientific Affairs, Ego Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd., 21–31 Malcolm Road, Braeside, VIC 3195, AustraliaDepartment of Scientific Affairs, Ego Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd., 21–31 Malcolm Road, Braeside, VIC 3195, AustraliaProducts designed to cleanse the skin commonly do so through surfactant action, which leads to the lowering of the surface tension of the skin to facilitate the removal of dirt from its surface. Skin cleansers generally come in one of two types: soap-based and synthetic detergents, or syndets. While the latter can effectively maintain the native skin structure, function and integrity, the former tends to negatively affect the skin by causing barrier disruption, lipid dissolution and pH alteration. Despite this, soap is still often preferred, possibly due to the negative connotations around anything that is not perceived as ‘natural’. It is, therefore, important that the science behind cleansers, especially those designed for the maintenance of healthy skin and the management of common skin conditions such as eczema, be understood by both formulators and end-users. Here, we carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of surfactant—the key ingredient(s) in skin cleansers—and provide insight into surfactants’ physicochemical properties, biological activity and potential effects. Fine-tuning of the complex characteristics of surfactants can successfully lead to an ‘optimal’ skin cleanser that can simultaneously be milder in nature, highly effective and beneficial, and offer minimal skin interference and environmental impact.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/6/2010capacitychargeingredientmildnesspHcleanser |
| spellingShingle | Dalibor Mijaljica Fabrizio Spada Ian P. Harrison Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and Syndets Molecules capacity charge ingredient mildness pH cleanser |
| title | Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and Syndets |
| title_full | Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and Syndets |
| title_fullStr | Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and Syndets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and Syndets |
| title_short | Skin Cleansing without or with Compromise: Soaps and Syndets |
| title_sort | skin cleansing without or with compromise soaps and syndets |
| topic | capacity charge ingredient mildness pH cleanser |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/6/2010 |
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