WAX ON, WAX OFF

WASHY, WASHY, WASHY… SCRUBBY, SCRUBBY, SCRUBBY…

We’ve revamped the formula of our Splash Foam Party face cleanser to be gentle yet effective for all skin types (even the super sensitive ones that go red at the slightest touch). So today, we’re revisiting the importance of face washing and busting some common myths around it.

Is there a ‘magic soap’ that works for my head, body, and everything in between?

What’s the difference between the soap my gran used to make in the kitchen and a fancy pharmacy cleanser?

Are cleansers really some toxic capitalist chemical creation… designed to make me sterile?

CLEANSERS… CLEAN

Cleansers are made to clean… and if they clean too much… they dry you out and irritate. The main job of a cleanser is to remove oil, bacteria, sweat, dirt, and dead skin that build up on your face. But a cleanser (for now) isn’t smart enough to tell the difference between all that ‘nasty stuff’ and the good things you want to keep on your face (proteins, lipids, your morning-after smile...). That crocodile skin or sandpaper feeling or the ‘squeaky clean’ sound that we guys love so much? It’s just a sign that a cleanser/soap/tablet/dishwashing liquid… did its job TOO well. And took away a bit too much.

SOAP IRRITATES MY FACE

Not all soaps irritate in the same way. Up until World War II, there were only ‘traditional’ soaps made from animal fats or vegetable oils… which work great, but also irritate your skin like hell. When soap became scarce during the war, they had to invent something else, and that’s when syndets (syndet = SYNthetic DETergent) came straight out of the lab.

Oh, and a quick clarification: syndet just means synthetic; that is, it comes from a lab… and we’re all about science 👨‍🔬… science is your friend. Science works.

WITH SYNDETS, WE GOT CLEANSERS FOR DIFFERENT USES AND WITH DIFFERENT ‘STRENGTHS’:

THE 'HEAVY-DUTY' ONES (they’re called anionic – sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but they do the job hard).

Cheap, they make a TON of foam and clean a TON... which means they can IRRITATE a TON.

In this group, you've got SLS (probably the most drying) and SLES. You’ve likely heard of them because they get a lot of hate with the whole “NO SULFATES!!!!!” thing. Well… it’s not that bad. As with everything, it’s all about the right dose; they’re safe, effective, legally approved by health institutions, and they get the job done better than anything else. A big thumbs-up if used PROPERLY and in a balanced formula.

THE 'GENTLE' ONES (they’re called non-ionic).

Expensive, they barely foam, and they’re the LEAST irritating. These are often used for cleaning baby skin or if you’ve got skin conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and such.

THE 'FIGHTERS' (or cationic, because they knock microbes out cold).

They don’t clean all that well… but they’re fantastic when it comes to killing off microorganisms and bacteria.

THE 'MEH' ONES (or amphoteric).

They foam… but not too much, they clean… but not deeply, they irritate… a little, antibacterial… so-so. Basically, they pass in everything, but excel in nothing.

Mix all of the above, and you can get cleansers that are hardcore enough to clean trucks 🚚 or gentle enough to use on a newborn 🐣.

ARE LAB-MADE CLEANSERS FULL OF HARMFUL INGREDIENTS?

You’ll probably hear from some brand or influencer looking for attention that cleansers are packed with harmful, unpronounceable, and bad-for-your-skin ingredients. Well, that’s simply not true. Here’s a cheat sheet: to make a cleanser formula, you really only need 4 things:

1. Water (not always necessary in solid cleansers, though).
2. The detergent (tensioactive or surfactant), which, as we’ve seen, is what removes the dirt and irritates (a little or a lot… but it irritates because it’s cleaning both the good and the bad).
3. THINGS THAT DON’T CLEAN BUT GIVE YOU THAT 'NICE FEELING': thickeners to make the product more or less liquid, colorants to give it color, and perfumes so it smells amazing (some perfumes can trigger allergies depending on the person…).*Note: The foam is NOT what cleans (Wait, what?!). Sorry to burst that bubble, but foam just makes it feel good.
4. INGREDIENTS TO ‘BALANCE OUT’ THE IRRITATION. Oils, aloe, ceramides, glycerin… things that hydrate and restore your skin’s natural protective barrier that the cleanser just washed down the drain.

In short, the stuff added to cleansers (unless you’re a troll) is generally there to make the experience nicer and to ‘balance out’ the cleaning effect… not to screw you over.

CAN I USE HAND SOAP OR SHOWER GEL ON MY FACE?

GENERALLY, NO. Hand soaps and shower gels have:

• More detergent than your face needs.
• They use more ‘heavy-duty’ cleansers than gentle ones.
• They use fewer ‘balancing’ ingredients than your face requires.

That’s why specific cleansers are formulated for your face (and your balls, while we’re at it).

IS IT TRUE THAT THOSE SYNTHETIC THINGS YOU MENTIONED… COME FROM PETROLEUM AND KILL NEMO, AND THE NATURAL SOAP MY AUNT MAKES IN HER BATHTUB IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE?

No. 70 years ago, natural soap left your skin ready to grate cheese, and most synthetic products came from petroleum. Today, the cool synthetics are made from natural, sustainable, and eco-certified ingredients, and natural soaps don’t destroy your face anymore because they balance out the dryness with rich stuff (don’t fall for those clickbait headlines). In the end, like with everything in life, there are products that SUCK, and there are products that ROCK, and whether the cleanser was made in a lab or in an urban garden has little to do with that.

IN CONCLUSION, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR FACE...

It’s better to use something specific that’s made for your face…

That cleans without drying…

That feels good for you and your skin…

If someone’s trying to sell you on all-natural ingredients and doesn’t mention words like pH, irritation, or surfactant… raise an eyebrow 🤨 and keep asking questions.