In deciding whether or not to use a facewash, I apply this quite rudimentary and basic test of my own design:
1) What are the surfactants present and are they mild?
| Product Name | Surfactant 1 | Surfactant 2 | Preservatives | Preservatives |
| kaya everyday skin booster facewash | Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate (SLES) (2nd ingredient) | Cocoamidopropyl Betaine (3rd ingredient) | DMDM Hydantoin | Methylparaben |
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?
Formaldehyde, is a chemical that is used in embalming and is per se not permitted for use in cosmetics. DMDM Hydantoin is a formaldehyde releasing preservative. This is an approved preservative, which means that the quantity of formaldehyde that is released is not of concern. In addition, this product has methylparaben. I don’t use products with parabens. Parabens are cheap and effective preservatives. They are also estrogen mimickers and if you are thinking PCOS, then you are not the only one. (See also Chemicals to Avoid: parabens)
If you wish to use this product, because you don’t care about the nature of chemicals it contains, then please continue reading.
3) Is there any glycerine?
Yes, this product has glycerine. Glycerine keeps the skin hydrated by reducing the amount of trans-epidermal water loss.
See also The Critical Importance of Glycerin in the Skin
4) Does the product irritate or dry the skin?
Out of the facewashes I have used so far (fabindia, unhappily married, richfeel, neutrogena and lakme), this dries the skin the least. Bar the fact that I hate the list of preservatives, I would definitely use this product again.
My only cavaet is that the citrus smell of the facewash is not great. Its not as bad as Lakme, but its not anything to get excited about. The good news is that the smell is not strong and does not stay for long.
Will I use this product again?
Not a chance, because of the preservatives. Otherwise, I would use this.
Available for sale for INR 480.
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