Kao develops anionic surfactant-based skin cleansing technology

By Simon Pitman

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Skin

Japanese cosmetic and personal care player Kao has developed a new skin cleansing technology that is based on research demonstrating the cleansing ability of anionic surfactants.

The company says that a mixture of anionic surfactants exhibited well-balanced properties of aggregability and water solubility, that in turn produces a cleansing agent with low level sorption to the skin, while effectively adsorbing dirt from the top dermal layer.

The Kao researchers conducted cleansing performance tests on the technology against a model sebum and it says that results showed that it had a significantly higher cleansing performance when compared to the company’s existing cleansing technology.

Mildness with cleansing performance

The study says the development of the technology has led to a solution that meets demands for both ‘mildness to skin’ and ‘cleansing performance’, a combination that invariably poses a great challenge to formulators when it comes to the development of cleansers.

Indeed, Kao claims that rather than demonstrating the characteristic tightening of the skin, often associated with effective skin cleansers, the technology showed signs of actually improving the skin texture.

The texture of the skin was assessed through a series of tests to assess the moisture levels in the skin after washing with the new technology. The results showed that the skin moisture levels varied ‘very slightly’, compared to the conventional technology.

Low adsorption reduces swelling

The Kao scientists believe that this could be down to low adsorption/penetration of the cleansing agent on the skin stratum corneum, resulting in less swelling, which invariably leads to skin tightening.

Skin texture was also assessed over a four week period, suggesting that after daily use during this period, skin texture showed distinct signs of improvement, which the researchers attributed to the combination of mildness and high cleansing capabilities.

Kao says that the technology is likely to be adopted in the formulations for a number of its leading skin care brands and products on a global basis.

Related topics Formulation & Science

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