Shower gel

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Shower jellies

Shower gel (also shower cream or body wash) is a specialized liquid product used for cleaning the body during showers. Not to be confused with liquid soaps, shower gels, in fact, do not contain saponified oil. Instead, it uses synthetic detergents derived from either petroleum or plant sources.

Contents

Body washes and shower gels have a lower pH value than the traditional soap, which is also known to feel less drying to the skin. In certain cases, sodium stearate is added to the chemical combination to create a solid version of the shower gel.

History

Shower gel is a derivative invention of the liquid soap, which first appeared in the 1800s. In 1865, William Shepphard patented the formula behind the liquid soap, [1] but the product gained eventual popularity with the rise of Palmolive soap in 1898, by B.J. Johnson. [2]

Modern chemistry later[ when? ] enabled the creation of the shower gel, which specialized in cleaning the entire body during baths and showers.

Properties

Shower gels are known to consist of the same basic ingredients as soap - water, betaines, and sodium laureth sulfate, or SLS. But the main difference between the two products lie in its surfactants - compounds known to lower the surface tension between substances, which helps in the emulsification and the washing away of oily dirt. The surfactants of shower gels do not come from saponification, that is by reacting a type of oil or fat with lye. Instead, it uses synthetic detergents for surfactants derived from either plant-based sources or petroleum. This gives the product a lower pH value than soap [3] and might also feel less drying to the skin. [4] Some people have likened the effect to feeling less squeaky clean, however. [5]

Surfactants can make up as much as 50 percent of the shower gel content, with the remaining proportion being made up of a combination of water and ingredients to thicken, preserve, emulsify, add fragrance, and color. [6] [7] Multiple surfactants are often used to achieve desired product qualities. A primary surfactant can provide good foaming ability and cleaning effectiveness, while a secondary surfactant can add qualities of mildness to prevent irritation or over-drying of the skin. To prevent shower gel ingredients from separating, emulsifiers such as diethanolamine are added. [8] Conditioning agents may also be added to moisturize the skin during and after product use. [9] They are also available in different colours and scents. [10] Ingredients, like scent in the form of essential oils or fragrance oils [6] and colorant in the form of water soluble dyes are common in shower gels. [9]

Microbeads were commonly used in shower gels until recently. Microbeads are tiny spheres of plastic that were added to a variety of cosmetic products for their exfoliating qualities. [11] They are too small to filter out of water systems and end up in waterways and oceans, potentially passing toxins to animal life and humans. [12] Following the legislative actions of other countries, the United States passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act in 2015, which bans microbeads in the U.S. incrementally starting in 2017, with full implementation set for 2019. [13] It has been banned from production and use in cosmetics in the U.S. since July 1, 2017. In the UK - since October 1, 2018.

Shower gels for men may contain the ingredient menthol, which gives a cooling and stimulating sensation on the skin, and some men's shower gels are also designed specifically for use on hair and body. Shower gels contain milder surfactant bases than shampoos, and some also contain gentle conditioning agents in the formula. This means that shower gels can also double as an effective and perfectly acceptable substitute to shampoo, even if they are not labelled as a hair and body wash. Washing hair with shower gel should give approximately the same result as using a moisturising shampoo.

Marketing

Like shampoo and bubble bath products, many are marketed directly towards children. These often feature scents intended to appeal to children, such as fruit scents, or cookies or cotton candy scents. Many bottles feature popular characters from children's television or movies. As with men's body wash, they often are specifically designed to be used also as a shampoo and conditioner. They also often contain gentle ingredients designed for young skin.

Related Research Articles

Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), an accepted contraction of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), also called sodium alkylethersulfate, is an anionic detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products and for industrial uses. SLES is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent. SLES, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), and sodium pareth sulfate are surfactants that are used in many cosmetic products for their cleaning and emulsifying properties. It is derived from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. In herbicides, it is used as a surfactant to improve absorption of the herbicidal chemicals and reduces time the product takes to be rainfast, when enough of the herbicidal agent will be absorbed.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sometimes written sodium laurilsulfate, is an organic compound with the formula CH3(CH2)11OSO3Na and structure H3C−(CH2)11−O−S(=O)2−O−Na+. It is an anionic surfactant used in many cleaning and hygiene products. This compound is the sodium salt of the 12-carbon organosulfate. Its hydrocarbon tail combined with a polar "headgroup" give the compound amphiphilic properties that make it useful as a detergent. SDS is also component of mixtures produced from inexpensive coconut and palm oils. SDS is a common component of many domestic cleaning, personal hygiene and cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food products, as well as of industrial and commercial cleaning and product formulations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfactant</span> Substance that lowers the surface tension between a liquid and another material

Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may function as emulsifiers, wetting agents, detergents, foaming agents, or dispersants. The word "surfactant" is a blend of surface-active agent, coined c. 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Spice</span> American brand of male grooming products

Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble.

The term cleanser refers to a product that cleans or removes dirt or other substances. A cleanser could be a detergent, and there are many types of cleansers that are produced with a specific objective or focus. For instance, a degreaser or carburetor cleanser used in automotive mechanics for cleaning certain engine and car parts.

A fabric softener or fabric conditioner is a conditioner that is applied to laundry after it has been washed in a washing machine. A similar, more dilute preparation meant to be applied to dry fabric is known as a wrinkle releaser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laundry detergent</span> Type of detergent used for cleaning laundry

Laundry detergent is a type of detergent used for cleaning dirty laundry (clothes). Laundry detergent is manufactured in powder and liquid form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bubble bath</span> Filled bathtub with a layer of foam

A bubble bath is a filled bathtub with a layer of soap bubbles on the surface of the water. Less commonly, aerated or carbonated baths are called bubble baths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carboxymethyl cellulose</span> Cellulose derivative grafted with carboxymethyl groups

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or cellulose gum is a cellulose derivative with carboxymethyl groups (-CH2-COOH) bound to some of the hydroxyl groups of the glucopyranose monomers that make up the cellulose backbone. It is often used as its sodium salt, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. It used to be marketed under the name Tylose, a registered trademark of SE Tylose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dishwashing liquid</span> Detergent used for cleaning dishes

Dishwashing liquid, also known as dishwashing soap, dish detergent, and dish soap is a detergent used to assist in dishwashing. It is usually a highly-foaming mixture of surfactants with low skin irritation, and is primarily used for hand washing of glasses, plates, cutlery, and cooking utensils in a sink or bowl. In addition to its primary use, dishwashing liquid also has various informal applications, such as for creating bubbles, clothes washing and cleaning oil-affected birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotion</span> Skin treatment preparation

Lotion is a low-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to the skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity, typically due to lower water content. Lotions are applied to external skin with bare hands, a brush, a clean cloth, or cotton wool.

Skin care is a range of practices that support skin integrity, enhance its appearance, and relieve skin conditions. They can include nutrition, avoidance of excessive sun exposure, and appropriate use of emollients. Practices that enhance appearance include the use of cosmetics, botulinum, exfoliation, fillers, laser resurfacing, microdermabrasion, peels, retinol therapy, and ultrasonic skin treatment. Skin care is a routine daily procedure in many settings, such as skin that is either too dry or too moist, and prevention of dermatitis and prevention of skin injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby shampoo</span> Personal care product

Baby shampoo is a hair care product that is used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair; specially formulated for use on infants and young children by means of substituting chemicals which are purportedly less irritating to the eyes than those commonly found in regular shampoo.

Personal care products are consumer products which are applied on various external parts of the body such as skin, hair, nails, lips, external genital and anal areas, as well as teeth and mucous membrane of the oral cavity, in order to make them clean, protect them from harmful germs and keep them in good condition. They promote personal hygiene and overall health, well-being and appearance of those body parts. Toiletries form a narrower category of personal care products which are used for basic hygiene and cleanliness as a part of a daily routine. Cosmetic products, in contrast, are used for personal grooming and beautification. Pharmaceutical products are not considered personal care products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shampoo</span> Hair care product

Shampoo is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into the scalp, and then rinsing it out. Some users may follow a shampooing with the use of hair conditioner.

A soap substitute is a natural or synthetic cleaning product used in place of soap or other detergents, typically to reduce environmental impact or health harms or provide other benefits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dry shampoo</span> Hair product

Dry shampoo otherwise known as hybrid shampoo is a type of shampoo which reduces hair greasiness without the need for water. It is in powder form and is typically administered from an aerosol can. Dry shampoo is often based on corn starch or rice starch. In addition to cleansing hair, it can also be used as a tool for hair-styling as it can create volume, help tease hair, keep bobby pins in place, and be used in place of mousse in wet hair. Dry shampoo proponents attest that daily wash-and-rinse with detergent shampoo can strip away natural oils from hair. However, others attest that spraying dry shampoo every day will lead to a build-up of product that can dull hair color and irritate the scalp, arguing that the scalp needs regular cleansing and exfoliating to get rid of bacteria, remove dead skin cells, and stay healthy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dishwasher detergent</span> Type of detergent specifically used to wash dishes in a dishwasher

Dishwasher detergent is a detergent made for washing dishes in a dishwasher. Dishwasher detergent is different from dishwashing liquid made to wash dishes by hand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabric treatment</span>

Fabric treatments are processes that make fabric softer, or water resistant, or enhance dye penetration after they are woven. Fabric treatments get applied when the textile itself cannot add other properties. Treatments include, scrim, foam lamination, fabric protector or stain repellent, anti microbial and flame retardant.

References

  1. ↑ "On This Day – August 22 : The first patent for liquid soap was issued to William Sheppard on this day in 1865- Learn Chemistry". www.rsc.org. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  2. ↑ "The Cleanest Inventions: Soaps and Detergents". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  3. ↑ Pai, Deanna (November 23, 2016). "Please Help Me Understand Why You Still Use Bar Soap". Glamour. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Try these 11 expert tips for a better shower; your skin will thank you". NBC News. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  5. ↑ "Why you shouldn't *actually* want to be squeaky-clean after a shower". Well+Good. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  6. 1 2 Hornsey, Sally (2014). How to Make Your Own Soap. London, England: Constable & Robinson. pp. 24, 198. ISBN   9781908974235.
  7. ↑ Flick, Ernest (1992). Cosmetic and Toiletry Formulations, Second Edition, Volume 2. Park Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Publications. ISBN   0815513062.
  8. ↑ Boyd, Christopher (4 August 2014). "EXAMINE THE CHEMISTRY OF BODY WASH". www.chemservice.com. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  9. 1 2 "Cosmetic Formulations – Body Wash – Chemists Corner". chemistscorner.com. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  10. ↑ Guarnieri, Anne-Marie (January 6, 2014). "Bar soap vs. shower gel: A brief look at the history of how we bathe". Fashion. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  11. ↑ DeWeerdt, Sarah. "Tiny biodegradable spheres could replace plastic microbeads" . Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  12. ↑ Han, Esther (2016-08-16). "Microbeads are leaching toxic chemicals into fish, sparking public health fears". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  13. ↑ Bailey Bischoff Staff (18 April 2018). "How the world made macro strides in curbing microbeads". Christian Science Monitor– via MAS Ultra - School Edition.

Further reading

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