The cleanser is often the unsung hero of any skincare routine. It's the first step, washing away the day's dirt, makeup, and impurities, leaving your skin feeling refreshed and prepped for the rest of your regimen. But formulating a good cleanser requires careful consideration of ingredients and desired effects.

This blog post dives into the world of cleanser formulation, exploring different types, key ingredients, and exciting trends shaping the future of this essential skincare product.

Types of Cleansers: Catering to Every Skin Type

1. Cream Cleansers

Cream cleansers are the gentle giants of the cleansing world, offering a luxurious and nourishing experience for your skin. They are commonly formulated with a rich base of emollients and humectants. Emollients act like lubricants, providing a smooth and comfortable cleansing experience, while humectants like glycerin or hyaluronic acid attract and retain moisture, preventing the cleanser from stripping away natural oils and leaving the skin feeling tight or dry. Gentle and hydrating, these are ideal for normal to dry skin. They often have a milky white texture and contain nourishing ingredients like glycerin or hyaluronic acid. 

2. Gel Cleansers

If you're creating a product that is targeted at oily and combination skin types, you should consider having gel cleansers in your line of products. The key ingredients in gel cleansers are surfactants, also known as cleansing agents. These molecules have a unique structure with one end attracted to water (hydrophilic) and the other attracted to oil and dirt (hydrophobic). When the gel cleanser is lathered with water, the surfactants latch onto oil, makeup and dirt on the skin's surface, which effectively lifts and loosens these impurities from the skin. Lightweight, refreshing, and typically non-comedogenic, these are perfect for oily or combination skin. They often utilize a gel-type texture with purifying ingredients such as salicylic acid or witch hazel to wash away excess oil, leaving the skin feeling refreshed and invigorated.

3. Micellar Water

A gentle, no-rinse option, micellar water uses micelles (tiny oil molecules), which are microscopic oil molecules suspended in a water solution. These micelles act like magnets to attract dirt, oil, makeup and impurities from the skin without disrupting its natural balance. It's typically great for all skin types, but especially effective for sensitive skin types. One of the biggest advantanges of micellar water is its no-rinse feature. This makes it convenient for travel use. It can also be formulated with additional hydrating or soothing ingredients to provide toning and refreshing effects.

4. Oil Cleansers

These oil-based cleansers dissolve makeup and sunscreen without stripping the skin. They work well for all skin types, but are especially beneficial for dry or mature skin. Oil cleansers might also seem counterintuitive for those with oily skin, but trust the science -- these oil-based cleansers are powerful cleansers for excess oil on the skin. The key principle behind oil cleansers is the scientific concept of "like dissolves like". Oil cleansers are formulated with oils that are similar in structure to the natural oils (sebum) produced by the skin, hence this similarity allows the oil cleanser to effectively dissolve and break down these oils. 

While oil cleansers are oil-based, they often contain emulsifiers. These emulsifiers allow the oil to mix with water. When you add water to your face after massaging with the oil cleanser, the emulsifiers create a a milky emulsion that helps wash away the dissolved impurities, leaving the skin feeling clean and refreshed. 

5. Balm Cleansers

Balm cleansers offer a luxurious and effective way to cleanse the skin. These luxurious and nourishing, balm cleansers transform from a solid balm and melt into a silky oil upon contact with the skin, effectively dissolving makeup, sunscreen and impurities. How this works: balm cleansers are formulated with a blend of solid oils, butters and emollients that melt at skin temperature. Similar to oil cleansers, the oils contained in this formulation also attract and dissolve oil-based makeup, sunscreen and impurities without disrupting the skin's natural barrier. 

Similar to oil cleansers, balm cleansers also often contain emulsifiers, which help to wash away dissolved impurities, leaving the skin feeling clean and refreshed.  

Beyond Basic Cleansing: Benefits of a Well-Formulated Cleanser

A good cleanser does more than just cleanse. It can offer additional benefits depending on the additional, supporting ingredients in the formula.

Hydration:

Cleansers can include humectants like hyaluronic acid and panthenol to attract and retain moisture. Having humectants like hyaluronic acid in cleansers can not only minimize the drying effects of cleansing, it can also provide a more comfortable cleansing experience especially for those with dry or sensitive skin types.

Exfoliation:

Cleansers with exfoliating ingredients like AHAs or BHAs can help improve skin textures. AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) like glycolic acid or lactic acid can gently dissolve the bonds between dead skin cells, allowing them to be effortlessly swept away. This process noy only reveals a brighter, smoother surface underneath, but it can also stimulate cell turnover. BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) like salicylic acid, are oil-soluble, meaning they can penetrate deeper into pores to decongest clogged follicles and combat breakouts. This can be particularly beneficial for oily and acne-prone skin.

Soothing:

Calming ingredients in cleansers like centella asiatica, aloe vera or chamomile can be beneficial for sensitive or irritated skin. Aloe vera, for example, is a powerhouse ingredient, packed with anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties. It also helps to reduce redness and irritation, while providing a cooling sensation during cleansing. Soothing ingredients in cleansers are especially important for those with skin conditions like rosacea and eczema.

Balancing:

Cleansers formulated with prebiotics or probiotics can help maintain a healthy skin microbiome. The skin microbiome is a complex ecosystem of bacteria, which comprises of beneficial and not-so-beneficial bacteria. Having microbiomes in cleansers can help keep the not-so-beneficial bacteria in check and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, while also restore the balance of the ecosystem, leading to a calmer and more comfortable complexion.

Barrier Repairing:

Cleanser formulations that contain barrier-repairing ingredients such as ceramides are a great choice for those with a weakened skin barriers due to dryness. Such ingredients act like mortar between the skin cells (bricks), keeping the barrier strong and healthy. A healthy barrier helps retain moisture and protects the skin from environmental stressors and irritants.

Key Cleansing Ingredients

As we always say, the magic of a skincare formulation lies in the ingredients. Here are some common types of ingredients in cleansers and their functions:

Surfactants:

These are the workhorses of any cleansing agent that removes dirt and oil from the skin's surface. They come in various types, from gentle to more potent, each suited for specific skin types. Examples of surfactants are sulfates that create a rich lather, sulfate-free surfactants such as coco-betaine or disodium cocoamphodiacetate, and amphoteric surfactants. 

Emollients:

Think of emollients as the soothers and smoothers of the cleansing world. These ingredients help soften the skin and make the cleansing process feel more comfortable. They often come in the form of plant oils such as jojoba or almond oil, and butters such as shea butter or cocoa butter. Emollients can help replenish the skin's natural lipid barrier, which is essential for maintaining hydration and preventing dryness. 

Humectants:

Humectants are moisture magnets that attract and retain water in the skin. They draw moisture from the environment, earning them the nickname of 'tiny sponges' in the world of skincare. Humectants, such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid, help prevent the skin from dehydration and prevent the cleanser from feeling tripping and leave the skin feeling hydrated and plump after cleansing. 

Emulsifiers:

Emulsifiers act like bridges, allowing water and oil-based ingredients in a cleanser to blend together seamlessly. Without them, these ingredients would repel each other, resulting in an oily mess or a product with an inconsistent texture. By promoting a stable blend of oil and water, emulsifiers ensure that the cleanser remains consistent throughout its use. A crucial function of emulsifiers is to aid in rinsing. When you rinse away the cleanser from the skin, emulsifiers enable the water to wash away everything including the oil-based cleansing agents and any impurities they've captured. Without emulsifiers, there might be oily residue left on the skin. 

MAYK's Private Label Cleansers

1. Centella Asiatica Ceramide Foam Cleanser

If you're looking for a soothing cleanser to add to your line of bestsellers, this is the one. This cream cleanser contains centella asiatica extract, panthenol and ceramides, all known to soothe irritations, strenghten moisture barrier and protect the skin from external stressors. It also contains licorice extract to help brighten the skin tone, and allantoin to enhance the skin texture.

2. Rice Powder Cleanser

Looking for an innovative cleanser? This is a modern cleanser formulation that seamlessly integrates cleansing and exfoliating into a single product. Formulated with rice extract and papain (papaya enzyme), this innovative powder cleanser gently removes dead skin cells while promoting brighter and smoother skin.

3. Green Tea Powder Cleanser

Formulated with a blend of natural ingredients, including green tea extract and papain (papaya enzyme), this innovative powder cleanser offers a versatile exfoliating experience. While the granules provide a gentle exfoliation, other ingredients such as vitamin C provide an antioxidant boost, promoting a more radiant complexion with each wash.

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