In deciding whether or not to use a facewash, I apply this quite rudimentary and basic test of my own design:
1) What surfactants are present and are they mild?
The surfactants present are Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate and Cocoamidopropyl Betaine.
Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate has great detergency action: its great at removing dirt and grim. But its primarily used because it produces foam and good lather. (Asians like their facewashes to foam).
Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a mild surfactant and its present because it reduces the irritation potential of the other sulphate based detergents.
In theory, these surfactants should create a facewash that is milder than the dreaded Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), but this is not a resounding endorsement of the product given how strong SLS is!!
2) Does the product have a good preservative system?
No.
This product contains Methylisothiazolinone (MI), which is a preservative and a biocide. It’s used in: Industrial products (paints, adhesives, varnishes), Household products and in the USA and India, its also used in cosmetics, shampoos, and sunscreens.
MI is banned in the European Union (EU) in leave-on products, such as sunscreen as its a contact allergen. The EU reached this decision after finding sufficient data in a bunch of European countries that showed not only was MI a contact allergen but also the number of incidences of contact allergy to MI were increasing. In the US, the status of MI is under review but in 2013, the American Contact Dermatitis Society named in as “Allergen of the Year.”
See this Should you avoid products with Methylisothiazolinone? for more information.
However, it is permitted in rinse-off products.
My personal view is that this may cause irritation over time because of how I use this facewash. Am I always going to leave my facewash on for a few seconds or will there be many times when I leave it on for 30 seconds+? What is the prolonged impact of this on my skin? I don’t want to be that guinea pig that finds out if my skin becomes sensitised over time.
I just don’t.
Therefore, I do not use MI in leave-on or rinse-off products.
I respect that you may wish to ignore this and please continue reading?
3) Does the product deposit ingredients that help with skin hydration?
Yes, this product has glycerine.
Glycerine keeps English, it keeps the skin hydrated by reducing the amount of trans-epidermal water loss
See also The Critical Importance of Glycerin in the Skin
Baumman writes, “App et al compared 2 high glycerin moisturizers to 16 other popular moisturizers in 394 patients with severely dry skin. The high glycerin products were superior to all other products tested over this five year period because they rapidly restored dry skin to normal hydration levels. They also helped prevent the return to dryness for a long period than the other formulations, even those containing petroluatum. Glycerin causes an expansion of the stratum corneum because of increased thickness of the corneocytes and expanded spaces between layers and corneocytes. These findings suggest that glycerin appears to create a reservoir of moisturing holding ability that renders the skin more resistant to drying.”
4) Does the product irritate or dry the skin?
Out of all the fabindia facewash products I have used this one caused the most irritation and dried my skin the most.
I am unsure if it was the exfoliating beads being too harsh or the composition of the facewash. Either way, it left my skin stinging.
Also, the smell was awful, unlike the kesar & chandan and avocado oil facewash.
Will I use this product?
Even if I ignore the fact that the preservatives are far from ideal, this is simply too harsh for my skin. I cannot imagine using this on a regular basis at all.
Available for sale at fabinida for INR 270.
HAPPY SKIN DAYS. COPYRIGHT RESERVED 2021. I am a non-affiliated skincare blogger. I invest my own resources in researching and creating content for my blog. The contents of this blog, including images are protected by copyright law(s). My content cannot be replicated without my consent. You can write to me at email@happyskindays.com. I will file criminal and civil charges for copyright infringement.