Do I have to Change My Facial Cleanser in Winter?

   I am not surprised that recently my customers are extremely concerned about their facial cleanser or face wash. In my practice they usually want to change their cleanser in winter. In Washington DC up to now, we are lucky with the weather but with the Covid-19, wearing a facial mask and spending more time in heated rooms in front of computers the skin become more sensitive and reactive. My previous blog “Micellar Cleansers-Are they better than my regular face wash?” posted March 30,2016 generate positive reviews. Choosing a facial cleanser is a personal decision and it depends on many factors. In this blog I will give you a few tips:
   Primarily, the feeling during application and after rinsing off. This is a critical attribute that you will look for in the product. Feel is the first characteristic that anyone will experience when using any brand product, texture, solid bar, oil, liquid, or emulsion. Positive or negative sensory attributes will affect your choice. Whether you pick up a luxurious facial cleanser or a vegan bar soap the feel must be exactly right on.
   Second the correct surfactant must be chosen depending on where the product is going to be used. A formulator would select different surfactants if they were formulating a hand cleaner versus a hair cleanser or a facial cleanser. The mildness must be taken into consideration as well as performance and compatibility with other ingredients.
   Third preference is usually foaming size and structure and the ease of building foam. This is especially important in shampoos and hand cleansers. Many consumers get the impression that the better the foaming characteristics, the better the product will work. They attribute foaming to cleansing. The more the foam the better the cleansing.
   Next viscosity during dispensing and use. This is important for the functionality of the product and claims being made for initial performance or long-term benefits. It is also a critical indicator of product stability. It is a wrong perception that thicker more viscus product will cleanse better.
   Deposition of active ingredients. This is important as the consumer will get the feeling that the product is rich and luxurious if it has a high viscosity. If the product for some reason does not deliver the active ingredients as claimed, the consumer will again have negative feelings toward the product and from a formulating standpoint, the cost of the product will be compromised if the active ingredients do not perform as it should.
   All the above responses are important in the development of a desirable cleansing product. Even though some may be more important than others, they all play an equal role in your personal preference and selection. I personally consider it not serious to use one cleanser in winter versus another in summer or you should not be misled by marketing buzzwords such as brightening cleanser, intense cleanser and the list goes on and on. Tanya Gospodinova Science Director