WAX ON, WAX OFF

WASHY, WASHY, WASHY… SCRUBBY, SCRUBBY, SCRUBBY…

We’ve revamped the formula of our Splash Foam Party face cleanser to be gentle yet effective for all skin types (even the super sensitive ones that go red at the slightest touch). So today, we’re revisiting the importance of face washing and busting some common myths around it.

Is there a ‘magic soap’ that works for my head, body, and everything in between?

What’s the difference between the soap my gran used to make in the kitchen and a fancy pharmacy cleanser?

Is it true that cleaners are toxic and cursed chemicals of capitalism… created to make me sterileAre cleansers really some toxic capitalist chemical creation… designed to make me sterile?

THE CLEANERS… CLEACLEANSERS… CLEAN

Cleansers are made to clean… and if they clean too much… they dry you out and irritate. The main job of a cleanser is to remove oil, bacteria, sweat, dirt, and dead skin that build up on your face. But a cleanser (for now) isn’t smart enough to tell the difference between all that ‘nasty stuff’ and the good things you want to keep on your face (proteins, lipids, your morning-after smile...). That crocodile skin or sandpaper feeling or the ‘squeaky clean’ sound that we guys love so much? It’s just a sign that a cleanser/soap/tablet/dishwashing liquid… did its job TOO well. And took away a bit too much.

SOAP IRRITATES MY FACE 

Not all soaps irritate in the same way. Up until World War II, there were only ‘traditional’ soaps made from animal fats or vegetable oils… which work great, but also irritate your skin like hell. When soap became scarce during the war, they had to invent something else, and that’s when syndets (syndet = SYNthetic DETergent) came straight out of the lab.

Oh, and a quick clarification: syndet just means synthetic; that is, it comes from a lab… and we’re all about science 👨‍🔬… science is your friend. Science works.

WITH SYNDETS, WE GOT CLEANSERS FOR DIFFERENT USES AND WITH DIFFERENT ‘STRENGTHS’: 

THE 'HEAVY-DUTY' ONES

(they’re called anionic – sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but they do the job hard)

  • Cheap, they make a TON of foam and clean a TON... which means they can IRRITATE a TON.
  • In this group, you've got SLS (probably the most drying) and SLES. You’ve likely heard of them because they get a lot of hate with the whole “NO SULFATES!!!!!” thing. Well… it’s not that bad. As with everything, it’s all about the right dose; they’re safe, effective, legally approved by health institutions, and they get the job done better than anything else. A big thumbs-up if used PROPERLY and in a balanced formula. 

THE 'GENTLE' ONES 

(they’re called non-ionic)

  • Expensive, they barely foam, and they’re the LEAST irritating. These are often used for cleaning baby skin or if you’ve got skin conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and such.

THE 'FIGHTERS'

(or cationic, because they knock microbes out cold)

  • They don’t clean all that well… but they’re fantastic when it comes to killing off microorganisms and bacteria. 

THE 'MEH' ONES

(Or amphoteric)

  • They foam… but not too much, they clean… but not deeply, they irritate… a little, antibacterial… so-so. Basically, they pass in everything, but excel in nothin.

Mix all of the above, and you can get cleansers that are hardcore enough to clean trucks 🚚 or gentle enough to use on a newborn 🐣. 

ARE LAB-MADE CLEANSERS FULL OF HARMFUL INGREDIENTS?

You’ll probably hear from some brand or influencer looking for attention that cleansers are packed with harmful, unpronounceable, and bad-for-your-skin ingredients. Well, that’s simply not true. Here’s a cheat sheet: to make a cleanser formula, you really only need 4 things:

WATER

(not always necessary in solid cleansers, though)

THE DETERGENT

(tensioactive or surfactant)

which, as we’ve seen, is what removes the dirt and irritates (a little or a lot… but it irritates because it’s cleaning both the good and the bad). 

THINGS THAT DON’T CLEAN BUT GIVE YOU THAT 'NICE FEELING':

thickeners to make the product more or less liquid, colorants to give it color, and perfumes so it smells amazing.

(some perfumes can trigger allergies depending on the person…)

Note: The foam is NOT what cleans (Wait, what?!). Sorry to burst that bubble, but foam just makes it feel good. 

INGREDIENTS TO ‘BALANCE OUT’ THE IRRITATION

Oils, aloe, ceramides, glycerin… things that hydrate and restore your skin’s natural protective barrier that the cleanser just washed down the drain.

In short, the stuff added to cleansers (unless you’re a troll) is generally there to make the experience nicer and to ‘balance out’ the cleaning effect… not to screw you over. 

CAN I USE HAND SOAP OR SHOWER GEL ON MY FACE? 

GENERALLY, NO.

Hand soaps and shower gels have:

  • more detergent than your face needs
  • They use more ‘heavy-duty’ cleansers than gentle ones. 
  • They use fewer ‘balancing’ ingredients than your face requires

That’s why specific cleansers are formulated for your face (and your balls, while we’re at it)

IS IT TRUE THAT THOSE SYNTHETIC THINGS YOU MENTIONED… COME FROM PETROLEUM AND KILL NEMO, AND THE NATURAL SOAP MY AUNT MAKES IN HER BATHTUB IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE? 

No. 70 years ago, natural soap left your skin ready to grate cheese, and most synthetic products came from petroleum. Today, the cool synthetics are made from natural, sustainable, and eco-certified ingredients, and natural soaps don’t destroy your face anymore because they balance out the dryness with rich stuff (don’t fall for those clickbait headlines).

In the end, like with everything in life, there are products that SUCK, and there are products that ROCK, and whether the cleanser was made in a lab or in an urban garden has little to do with that. 

IN CONCLUSION, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR FACE... 

  • It’s better to use something specific that’s made for your face… 
  • That cleans without drying… 
  • If someone’s trying to sell you on all-natural ingredients and doesn’t mention words like pH, irritation, or surfactant… raise an eyebrow 🤨 and keep asking questions. 
  • That feels good for you and your skin… 

OH, AND BY THE WAY, QUICK COMMERCIAL PLUG, OUR SPLASH FOAM PARTY DOES EVERYTHING YOU COULD WANT FROM A FACE CLEANSER! 

  • Plant-based synthetic surfactant, eco-certified. 
  • Vitamin B3, soothing and gentle for all skin types (works great on sensitive skin, redness, dermatitis…). 
  • A bunch of hydrating ingredients like bamboo and aloe vera. 
  • Green foam with a fruity scent to get you pumped for your morning shower and keep you coming back every day. 

Cleaners:
wax on, wax off little grasshopper

THIS IS HOW I WASHED, THIS IS HOW… THIS IS HOW I CLEANED, THIS IS HOW…

We've revamped the formula of our Splash Foam Party facial cleanser to be gentle and effective on all skin types (including the most sensitive ones that turn red with any rubbing). So today we're revisiting the topic, its importance and typical myths associated with washing your face.

Is there a 'chard' soap that works equally well for my head, body and any dandruff?

How is the pill my grandmother made in a frying pan different from a fancy cleaner from a pharmacy?

Is it true that cleaners are toxic and cursed chemicals of capitalism… created to make me sterile?

THE CLEANERS... CLEAN

Cleansers are there to clean… and if they clean too much… they dry out and irritate. The main function of a cleanser is to remove grease, bacteria, sweat, dirt and flaky skin that accumulates on your face. But a cleanser (for now) is not intelligent and does not distinguish between all the 'nasty' stuff from the 'good' stuff that you would like to keep on your face (proteins, lipids, the after-grooming smile…). The so-called lizard face effect or elephant sandpaper or the 'squiky squiky' sound that we guys like so much… is nothing but a symptom that a cleanser/soap/tablet/dishwasher… has done its job TOO WELL. And has gone too far in removing things.

SOAPS IRRITATE MY FACE

Not all soaps are equally irritating. Until World War II, the only soaps that existed were traditional grandmother's soaps made from animal fats or vegetable oils... which work great and therefore irritate the skin so much. As soap became scarce during the war, something different had to be invented and syndet soaps (syndet = SYNthetic DETergent) appeared straight from the laboratory.

Ah! A clarification: Syndet just means synthetic; that is, it comes from a laboratory... and we like science.👨‍🔬 …science is your friend. Science works.

With Syndets came cleaners for different uses and with different 'powers':

THE HEAVIES

(They are called anionic – which reminds me of ‘anus’… because they can make you feel ‘like an ass’ if you overuse them)

  • Cheap, they foam A LOT and clean A LOT… so they can IRRITATE MALLET.
  • In this group are the SLS (this one dries out the most) and the SLE. You may have heard of them because they receive a lot of hate like “NO TO SULFATES!!!!!”. Well… it’s not that big of a deal. Like everything, in the right doses; they are safe, effective, legally authorized by health institutions and they do their job. better than any other . Very like if they are WELL used and put into a formula

THE SOFT ONES

(They are called - non-ionic)

  • Expensive, they don't foam very well and they are the LEAST irritating. They are usually used to clean babies' skin or if you have conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, etc.

THE 'THE ONE WHO SEEKS OUT'

(Or cationic, because it leaves microbes 'catatonic')

  • They don't wash very well... but they are great at killing microorganisms and bacteria

THE 'NEITHER FU NOR FA'

(Or amphoteric)

  • They foam… but not too much, they clean… but not too much, they irritate… somewhat, they are antibacterial… halfway. In other words, they get a passing grade in everything, but not a B in any subject.

And the fact is that by mixing all of the above… you can get super hardcore cleaners for cleaning trucks.🚚 or so soft that you would put them on a newborn🐣 .

LABORATORY CLEANERS ARE FULL OF HARMFUL INGREDIENTS

You will hear from some brands or groups looking for attention online that cleansers contain too many harmful, unpronounceable and bad ingredients for the skin. Well, this is simply a lie. To summarize, to make a cleanser formula you put in only 4 “things”:

WATER

(Not 100% necessary in solid cleaners e.g.)

THE DETERGENT

(Surfactant or surfactant)

And we have already seen that it is what removes dirt and irritates (from little to a lot... but it irritates because it is cleaning bad and good things at the same time).

THINGS THAT DON'T CLEAN BUT GIVE 'SENSATION AND TASTE'

Thickeners to make the product more or less liquid, colorants to give it color, perfumes to make it smell nice and nice and nice.

(Some perfumes, depending on the person, can cause allergies…)

Note: Foam is NOT what cleans (what the hell?). We just destroyed a myth for you, sorry. It just gives you a kick.

MOVES TO 'COMPENSATE' THE PART THAT IRRITATES

Oils, aloe, ceramides, glycerin… things that hydrate and renew your skin’s natural protective barrier that your cleanser just washed down the drain.

In conclusion, the things they add to cleaners (unless you're a fucking troll) are, in general, to give more flavor and to 'compensate' for the cleaning effect... not to annoy.

IS HAND SOAP OR SHOWER GEL OK FOR MY FACE?

In general NO .

Hand soaps and shower gels have:

  • More cleanser than your face needs
  • They use more 'heavy' cleaners than 'soft' ones
  • They use fewer 'compensating' ingredients than your face needs

And that's why specific cleansers are formulated for the face (and eggs, by the way).

IS IT TRUE THAT THE SYNTHETICS YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT… COME FROM PETROLEUM AND KILL NEMO AND THE NATURAL SOAP THAT MY AUNT MAKES WITH HERBS IN THE BATH IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE?

No. 70 years ago, natural soap left your skin feeling like grating cheese and most synthetic soaps were derived from petroleum. Today, synthetic soaps (the cool ones) are made with natural, sustainable and eco-certified ingredients and natural soaps don't ruin your face because they over-compensate for the dryness with yummy stuff (don't be fooled by sensational headlines).

In the end, like everything in life, there are CRAPPY products and MILK products and little or none of that has to do with whether the cleaner was formulated in a laboratory or in an urban garden.

In conclusion, when it comes to your little face:

  • It’s better to use something specific that’s made for your face…
  • That cleans without drying…
  • That feels good for you and your skin… 
  • If someone’s trying to sell you on all-natural ingredients and doesn’t mention words like pH, irritation, or surfactant… raise an eyebrow 🤨 and keep asking questions.

Ah! You know, the commercial wedge, our Splash that meets everything you could ask for in a face cleanser!

  • Plant-based synthetic surfactant, eco-certified.
  • Vitamin B3, soothing and gentle for all skin types (works great on sensitive skin, redness, dermatitis…).
  • A bunch of hydrating ingredients like bamboo and aloe vera.
  • Green foam with a fruity scent to get you pumped for your morning shower and keep you coming back every day. 

SPLASH FOAM PARTY

Facial cleansing foam. Shower friendly.

Removes dirt and unclogs pores without drying out.

SPLASH FOAM PARTY

Removes dirt and unclogs pores without drying out.

Removes dirt and unclogs pores without drying out.