P&G Beauty, Sharon Woods Technical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, U. S.A.
“Let it be observed, that slovenliness is no part of religion, that neither this, nor any
text of Scripture condemns neatness of apparel. Certainly this is a duty not a sin.
Cleanliness, indeed, is next to Godliness.”
—John Wesley (1703-1791), Sermon XCII
“Cleanliness becomes more important when Godliness is unlikely.”
—P. J. O’Rourke
In today’s marketplace personal cleansing products are found on the shelves of mass retailers and behind cosmetic counters at prestige stores, where they are offered as part of a total skin care and beauty package. Nearly every shopping mall has a purveyor of specialty cleansing products and a simple search on the Internet reveals a number of suppliers whose distinctive personal cleansers are purported to remedy the deficiencies of the products made by large-scale manufacturers. New cleanser forms offer increased convenience and consumers can choose from myriad product scents, colors, and functional ingredients intended to help them achieve relaxation and escape from the cares of everyday life, and to improve their skin’s health and appearance (1-4). Yet despite their increased variety and complexity, present day cleansers have the same basic function as their counterparts of times past: to cleanse the skin.