Wipes have been popular for the past several years for cleansing the face, removing eye makeup, sanitizing hands and, of course, cleaning a baby’s bottom. Pond’s has wipes in several categories but the recent Luminous Clean Wet Cleansing Towelettes take advantage of the current brightening and illuminating trends. This column will review the ingredient listing for claims and functionality.
Generally, the solution used to saturate cotton or cotton/poly blend towelettes is a water-thin liquid. In this case, the aqueous phase is a dilute solution of the mild amphoteric surfactant sodium lauroamphoacetate. Polysorbate 20 and PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil are co-emulsifiers that aid in the removal of dirt, oil and makeup.
The moisturizing claims are based on the humectants hexylene glycol and a molecular combination of xylitylglucoside, anhydroxylitol and xylitol. The glucose derivatives are thought to function by increasing skin’s dermal reservoirs by acting on glycoaminoglycans (GAGs) and “restructuring” skin by preventing TEWL.
The natural mineral clay kaolin helps to draw out impurities and soften skin. The preservative system consists of benzyl alcohol, DMDM hydantoin and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate. Citric acid is a pH adjustor, and the wipes are lightly scented with fragrance.
