Modern skin cleansers.
The course of development of skin cleansers has been one of continual improvement. Soap-based products, used since antiquity, offered improved cleansing over mechanical methods or water alone but could irritate and dry skin. Bars based on synthetic detergents that offer improved skin compatibility compared with soap have become available over the past several decades. Body washes have been growing in consumer popularity. Some of the first body washes introduced into the market offered a moisturization benefit in addition to mildness. Some second-generation body washes that are now on the market use even more sophisticated formulation schemes, such as coacervate technology, to deliver emulsified petrolatum to the skin during washing, providing mild cleansing and a significant dry skin improvement benefit. Consumer demand and the formulation possibilities provided by new product formats, new technologies, and new ingredients will undoubtedly lead to the delivery of even greater skin benefits in the future.