Cleansing is a key part in every skin care routine. There are products that exist in different forms, designed for every skin type. All, however, strive to reach the same goal – to remove impurities that accumulate during the day, dead skin cells and product residue from the skin. This ensures our skin stays in an optimal physiological state and we have a clean canvas, ready for application of other cosmetic products. Inadequate or excessive cleansing can cause an imbalance in our skin. Therefore, it is crucial to choose and use our products wisely. Emerging trends among face wash products demand easy to use multifunctional cleansers. In our thesis, we focused on micellar waters available in Slovenian drug stores, pharmacies and online. In addition to efficient cleansing, they moisturize the skin, act as toners and are advertised as leave-on products. We have studied the present surfactants and humectants among the chosen micellar waters, as well as preservatives, plant extracts, fragrances and other secondary ingredients, that improve the finished products` quality. In all 54 cases, the used surfactants were non-ionic and are as such the most skin-friendly option. In some cases, they are also coupled with amphoteric surfactants, yet no anionic surfactants were present. Humectants are found in all chosen micellar waters, among which the most used is glycerine. Preservatives are key ingredients for achieving microbiological quality standards, due to the high water content. Most often sodium benzoate is used. Other ingredients with antimicrobial properties were also frequently found, such as alcohol, for example, which is infamous for being able to dry out our skin. Fragrance and plant extracts can cause irritation in some cases, yet they are common ingredients in chosen products. Finally, we examined what are some of the most frequently used claims regarding micellar waters. One that stands out most states that rinsing off micellar waters is not necessary. Regardless, rinsing the product off could be beneficial, as present surfactants can interact with skin components.
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