How Should You Choose a Facial Cleanser’s Cleansing Power? | A Guide to Finding the Right Cleanser for Your Skin Today

"My skin has been feeling a bit oilier lately, so I'd like something that leaves my skin feeling fresher."

"My skin seems more sensitive than usual at the moment, so I'd prefer a gentler cleanser."

Have you ever wanted to adjust your facial cleanser according to the season or your skin's current condition?

Cleansing is an important step in any skincare routine. It helps remove excess sebum, dirt, and other impurities while supporting overall skin health.

That's why choosing a cleanser with a level of cleansing power that suits your skin's current needs can be an important part of finding the right product.

However, when researching cleansing power, you may come across various claims, such as:

・Can you tell how strong a cleanser is just by reading the ingredient list?

・Are amino acid-based cleansers always gentler?

・Are soap-based cleansers always stronger?

・Does tightness after cleansing mean your skin has been thoroughly cleaned?

So, how should we actually think about the cleansing power of facial cleansers?

In this article, we'll explore the topic from a cosmetic research and development perspective and explain it as clearly as possible.

Cleansing Power Is Not Simply "Weak" or "Strong"

When it comes to cleansing power, stronger is not always better, and neither is weaker.

For example, your preferences may change depending on:

・Periods when your skin feels oilier than usual

・Times when your skin feels more sensitive

・Seasons when dryness becomes more noticeable

The level of cleansing that feels comfortable can vary depending on your skin condition, lifestyle, and environment.

That's why it's helpful to consider not only how strong a cleanser is, but also whether it suits your skin's current needs.

Can You Judge Cleansing Power from the Ingredient List Alone?

In reality, it is not easy to accurately predict a cleanser's cleansing power from the ingredient list alone.

Of course, cleansing ingredients—particularly surfactants—play a major role in determining how a cleanser performs.

For this reason, looking at categories such as:

・Amino acid-based surfactants

・Soap-based cleansing systems

can provide some indication of a product's likely characteristics.

However, actual cleansing performance is influenced by many factors, including:

・Ingredient concentration

・pH

・Combinations of ingredients

・Foam characteristics

・Amount of product used

As a result, two cleansers with seemingly similar ingredient lists can sometimes perform quite differently.

This is why there are limits to judging cleansing power based solely on ingredients.

Tightness After Cleansing Does Not Necessarily Mean Strong Cleansing

Many people associate a tight feeling after washing with having cleaned their skin thoroughly.

At the same time, that feeling can sometimes raise concerns that a cleanser may have been too harsh.

In reality, however, skin tightness alone is not a reliable indicator of cleansing power.

For example, with soap-based cleansers, soap components can interact with minerals present in water, forming deposits that may remain on the skin and contribute to a distinctive after-feel.

In addition, the sensation after cleansing can also be influenced by factors such as moisturising ingredients and overall formulation design.

In other words, it is difficult to conclude that "tightness equals stronger cleansing." The sensation may be influenced not only by moisturising ingredients and formulation design, but also by changes in moisture within the stratum corneum and other factors that affect how the skin feels after washing.

How Is Cleansing Power Evaluated in Cosmetic Research and Development?

In cosmetic research and development, cleansing performance is typically assessed through dedicated evaluation methods.

One common approach involves applying artificial sebum to a surface and measuring how effectively they are removed after cleansing.

In some cases, image analysis techniques are also used to quantify cleansing performance.

However, one important consideration is how closely the test conditions reflect real-world use.

For example, results can vary depending on factors such as:

・The type of artificial sebum used

・The washing procedure

・The amount of cleanser applied

・The evaluation method

Therefore, while cleansing performance tests can provide valuable insights, it is equally important to understand the conditions under which those results were obtained.

What We Aim to Do at skingiene

When evaluating a facial cleanser's cleansing power, relying on a single perspective—whether ingredients or user experience alone—does not always provide the full picture.

At skingiene, we aim to assess cleansers from multiple angles, drawing on experience in cosmetic research and development, including:

・Ingredients

・Formulation design

・User experience

・Foam quality

・Cleansing performance testing

By combining these perspectives, we hope to provide a more balanced understanding of facial cleansers.

In future articles, we will also explore:

・Why cleansing power cannot always be predicted from ingredients alone

・Why skin tightness does not necessarily indicate stronger cleansing

・Key points to consider when interpreting cleansing performance data

Our goal is to explain these topics as clearly and practically as possible from a research and development perspective.