Toners are leave-on products. They are the second cleansing step within a skin care regimen designed to freshen and tone, and they also prepare the skin for the application of moisturizer. After cleansing, toners are typically applied by saturating a cotton ball or pad and wiping this across the face. Men may use them as […]

Toners, astringents, skin fresheners, skin lotions, softeners, tonics, balancers, cleansing waters and other terms are used for products in this category. The choice of nomenclature can vary by manufacturer and even within product lines. Also, the product name does not necessarily indicate strength or inclusion of a particular ingredient. For this chapter the term toners […]

Melanie Smith Mary Kay Inc., Dallas, Texas, U. S.A. INTRODUCTION Skin care sales continue to grow globally, driven by innovative new product forms, multifunctional products, consumer interest in reducing the signs of aging, a rise in disposable income, and the availability of foreign product lines in formerly less-developed countries. Most of the increase in sales […]

The number of cleansing forms available for use on the body is more limited than for the face, but the range of surfactants used in these products is no less varied. Soap is a cleanser used since antiquity, and it remains a popular cleanser despite much negative press and the introduction of syndets. In fact, […]

Facial cleansing is a primary need for most individuals. Apart from being a key interface for social interaction (“put your best face forward”), the face is a prime location for the accumulation of endogenous and exogenous soils. Sebaceous gland size and density are greatest on the face, upper back, and chest. The secretions from these […]

Dermatologists and consumers are faced with a variety of choices when recommending or selecting a personal cleansing product. The previous sections of this chapter reviewed some of the available literature that examines factors governing the interaction between surfactants and the skin from a theoretical standpoint. While many of the studies presented were not conducted under […]

Surfactants determine many of the actions personal cleansing products have on the skin, but other ingredients can also have an effect. For example, certain polymers are used in personal cleansing products as formulation aids, to alter skin feel, or are substantive on skin, providing skin-protective properties (104-106). Glycerin is a humectant ingredient used in many […]

Other studies also support a role for surfactant-protein interaction in the develop­ment of skin irritation. Imokawa et al. measured the specific rotation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the presence of surfactant to assess surfactant-protein interaction (69). Changes in the specific rotation were the result of conformational changes in BSA due to interactions with surfactant. […]

As noted earlier, the hydrolipid film on the surface of the skin is important for maintaining skin health. Epidermal lipids, which serve as the “mortar” between the corneocyte “bricks” in the stratum corneum, are also important to maintaining skin health and stratum corneum barrier function (53-55). Patient populations that exhibit heightened sensitivity to personal cleansing […]