Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash

Face washes and soaps tend to be quite harsh on the skin, as their function is to remove dirt and grim and your skins own natural oils get removed in the process.  When selecting a face wash I choose ones with a foamer in the packaging closure (lid).

Types of Face Cleaners in order of preference

Micelle waters – these have a high water content and use a surfactant to are water/oil emulsions and are gentle on the skins, the dirt and grime is attracted to the oils, they feel refreshing and do not need to be rinsed off and are time savers.  Read more here.

Cleansing lotions/balms/oils – these rely on oils to attract the dirt and grime and effective and do not disrupt the skins natural oil barrier.  They are effective and gentle and often contain plant oils making them natural.  These are quite time consuming to use.

Cleansers/Gels – contain SLS/SLES (surfactants) as these are very cheap and foam when in contact with water.  Although surfactants originate from coconuts to process and end product is far from natural.  They are known irritants and need additional chemicals to reduce the irritancy.  They strip the skin of its natural oils and are not recommended for sensitive skins.  Convenient to use and easy to rinse off.

Face Wipes – these revolutionised the cosmetic industry, they are so convenient and quick to use.  The surfactants used are gentle, but the alcohols can be drying and they need a higher level of preservation ie MI and MIT which do cause reactions with already sensitive skin.

Soap bars – I am not a fan of these as the lye content is too alkaline (ph 9-12) for our skin  (ph5.5). 

Alkaline products disrupt the skins natural oil barrier leaving it open to irritation.  Can be used all over and are very cheap.

 

Foaming Component

This is a clever packaging invention that turns liquids into foams, so it’s possible to have a low surfactant (SLS/SLES) formulation yet still achieve mild creamy foam.  Without this component, the user would have to put some gel onto the hands and rub together under water to create foam.  Surprisingly not too many brands have adopted this technology the only other ones I have come across on the High Street are: Superdrug own brand and Simple.

Ingredients

As the foaming lid is delivering the lovely creamy foam, the formulations contain lower levels of the surfactants that have the potential to cause irritation and they tend to be very mild and gentle on the skin. 

Witch Hazel and Tea Tree which have cleansing and anti-bacterial properties – they are in as low level extracts rather than effective active ingredients.

Tip

To test the mildness of a face wash, leave the foam on the back of your hand for about 10 minutes, if there is any redness or irritation - its way too harsh for your face.

Rating

Value for money – available from most Boots @ £3.59 for 150 ml

Effectiveness – gently cleans the face without leaving a tight feeling (this indicates your natural oils have been stripped)

Pampering factor – mild creamy foam, faint hint of tea tree, non-irritating and leaves skin gently cleansed

Recommended – I would definitely use this type of component when I develop a face wash for my own skin care range.