Beauty files
Cleansers: cosmetic ingredients best avoided
By now, you know that there are ingredients in your beauty products that are best avoided... B,but what about your cleanser ? Used every day, its formulation deserves just as much scrutiny. But don't panic: certain active ingredients, even synthetic ones, can also have their place in your bottles. So let's take a look at what's what, to help you become a true compounding pro!
Which ingredients in my cleanser should I avoid?
1. SLS
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate have a very bad reputation. They are surfactants, in other words, they are what make a product foam and enable it to emulsify greasy substances (impurities, sebum...) with water, thus cleansing. The problem is that they are potentially powerful foaming agents when used in high doses and in isolation... In this case, we advise against using them on sensitive skin, which can become irritated over time. The exception that proves the rule? We have this ingredient in 2 of our cleansers: Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel and Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser. But don't panic: here, softening agents are plentiful and the percentage of sulfates is carefully micro-dosed to avoid irritating the skin.
2. Soap
Are you puzzled by the words "soap-free soap" on some brands' products? Here's a quick explanation (to shine on your best friend)... Your skin is covered by a famous hydrolipidic film. This protective barrier has an acidic pH of 5.5 on average. Soap, on the other hand, has a basic pH. Soap destroys the protective film, and your skin has to rebuild its barrier in record time. In the long run, your skin becomes totally unbalanced and taut, It's also more sensitive to external aggressions. In short, for the hands, it's not dramatic. But for the face, it's more of a problem, whatever our skin type.
We therefore prefer to opt for a gentle cleansing base derived from sugar. We'll explain everything in a few paragraphs!
3. Parabens
It's a message you see almost everywhere now: "paraben-free". That's reassuring, but what exactly are parabens? Parabens are a family of preservatives used in cosmetology to protect water-rich formulas from microbial contamination. In 2004, they were sidelined. The reason: a study published by Dr Darbre, who had analyzed women's mammary tumors and found parabens in them. He concluded that parabens favored the development of breast cancer through the application of deodorants. This study was later rejected as scientifically invalid. Since then, parabens have been the subject of numerous studies, which have shown that short-chain parabens such as Methylparaben and Ethylparaben are safe, well tolerated and not very allergenic.
In contrast, long-chain parabens have been banned (e.g. Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Phenylparaben, Benzylparaben and Pentylparaben). The main criticism of this family of parabens is that they are too similar to estrogens.
In conclusion, parabens were quickly sidelined and replaced by other options.
* What about phenoxyethanol? At Oh My Cream, we don't ban it systematically. This synthetic preservative, if used below 1%, is not considered dangerous by the European Commission. What's more, in a cleanser, it is rinsed off, so contact with the skin is limited. Of course, if you'd like an alternative, we have plenty of other options available :-)
What do we think of fragrance in cleansers?
If it's there, and since it's rinsed off, we're sure there's nothing to worry about. We just recommendavoiding itif your skin is hyper-reactive or experiencing a momentary allergic reaction.
Which active ingredients should I choose for my cleanser?
1. Vegetable oils
Nothing beats cleansing with vegetable oils as a base. These can be found in a cleansing oil but also in cleansing milks and certain gels. Highly respectful of the skin's barrier, but formidable when it comes to eliminating impurities, a vegetable oil encapsulates all greasy substances (make-up and excess sebum), which are then rinsed away. Not to be confused with mineral oils, which should be avoided at all costs on blemish-prone skin, as they are film-forming. When applied to the epidermis, they clog pores. On the other hand, for dry or sensitive skin that has never had a pimple, they have the advantage of limiting dehydration and sensitivity during the cleansing phase.
2. Sugar-derived washing bases
They replace synthetic surfactants such as sulfates. Their names on your bottles make you think of less reassuring active ingredients... And yet! Sucrose Cocoate or Babassuamidopropyl Betaine, for example, are safe and of natural origin. Their cleansing bases take care of all skin types and protect against dehydration.
3. ...And the active ingredients themselves.
Yes, cleansing should also be considered as a treatment phase in its own right. We can therefore rely on soothing active ingredients such as oat (avena sativa kernel) for sensitive skin, tea tree for pimples, or sweet almond and shea butter for dry, dehydrated skin (prunus amygdalus and shea butter). There are even anti-aging active ingredients in cleansers, such as vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate) or probiotics, under the name of lactobacillus.
Choose from our cult cleansers!
- I have normal skin : Cleansing Gel Gel Nettoyant Susanne Kaufmann
- My skin is prone to imperfectionsOh My Cream Skincare Cleansing Gel
- I have sensitive skinEvercalm Gentle Cleansing Gel Ren Skincare
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I have dry or dehydrated skinOh My Cream Skincare Cleansing Emulsion
Susanne Kaufmann
Purifying Cleansing Gel Gel Nettoyant Purifiant
Oh My Cream Skincare
Gelée Nettoyante
Ren Clean Skincare
Evercalm Gel Nettoyant Doux
Oh My Cream Skincare
Emulsion Nettoyante
Do you still have questions about certain assets? Don't hesitate to drop us a line at consultation@ohmycream.com! And to carry out your skin diagnosis online, click here. !
