The purpose of a cleansing cream is the removal of facial makeup, surface grime and oil from the face and throat. A properly formulated cleansing cream will quickly and efficiently remove such applied cosmetics as face powder, rouge, foundation bases, cake makeup and lipstick. The large increase in the use of eye cosmetics has created a need for cleansing products specially formulated to remove such makeup.
Although adequate washing with soap and soft water will perform the same function, a cleansing cream has certain advantages-
The chemical nature of facial makeup allows more ready removal by a cleansing cream.
Cleansing cream is specially formulated to dissolve or lift away all the greasy binding materials holding pigments or grime on skin.
The effects of cleansing creams and other products are up on a specific type of natural skin oil, sebum, which had solidified over the sebaceous or pilosebaceous orifices. These “plaques†were surprisingly resistant to removal by scrubbing with soap and water but they are removed by the use of various cleansing cream.
A well balanced modern cleansing cream has low irritation factor and will leave an emollient residual film on the skin, which is protective in a dry skin condition. Cleansing preparations specifically designed for oily skin have acquired more importance. These are based on detergent or solvent action or they may be washable. They are designed to remove surface oil and leave a minimum deposit on the skin.
In addition to the primary function of cleansing, a multipurpose character can be given to a cleansing cream by appropriate formulation. By addition of modifying ingredients such properties as the abilities to soften, lubricate and protect and obtained.
Water alone a good cleansing agent. Water removes water soluble soils from the skin. The skin surface normally carries a negative electrostatic charge. Many particles, including bacteria, are also negatively charged. In water, these particles are repelled from the skin with resulting cleansing action. For the abnormal skin pus, blood cell, serious exudates and crust are not effectively and efficiently removed by water from skin. So the oily skin requires a solvent or an emulsification process for removal.
Soap and detergents aid water in emulsifying the oily soils permitting their removal as an emulsion by rinsing with excess water. Solvents such as gasoline and turpentine also remove the oily soils by dissolving them but they leave the skin deficient in natural oils. Mineral oil has solvent action on the oily soils, but its use may leave the skin greasy and it removes completely with a tissue.
The modern cleansing cream is based on the solvent action of mineral oil on the oils and grease binding either grime or makeup to the skin.
