More and more products of all kinds in the cosmetics industry, from eye shadows to concealers, foundations, and cleansers, are proclaiming that they contain active ingredients or specialty ingredients that can fight free-radical damage, acne, wrinkles, skin discolorations, and even sun damage. Since we have to clean our face twice a day, the notion of having a cleanser, or any product, with a dual purpose sounds like it would be the best of both worlds. Ingredients such as exfoliants (AHAs and BHA), anti-acne help (benzoyl peroxide), and antioxidants (such as vitamins and myriad plant extracts) are being added along with claims that they are providing benefits beyond just cleansing.
There are many problems with this concept. First, the ingredients would be rinsed down the drain in a rinse-off product or wiped away with a wipe-off product. The extras just don’t stay around long enough to positively impact skin. More problematic is the inclusion of ingredients you don’t want to get in your eye when splashing, such as AHAs (glycolic acid) or benzoyl peroxide. While there is research showing that benzoyl peroxide in cleansers can be beneficial, the risk to the eyes isn’t the best, and a leave-on product would be far more effective. One more downside to active ingredients in cleansers is that plant extracts and vitamins don’t remain stable when exposed to water. Even when these ingredients are encapsulated there are limitations to the cleansing process that hinders their effectiveness.