Easy “Apply & Rinse” Makeup Removal: Spontaneous Makeup Cleansing Technology

Makeup products contain coating ingredients that keep the applied layers looking good for a long time and prevent sweat and mechanical forces from disrupting the coat of makeup. This is why it is necessary to thoroughly rub makeup remover into the makeup on the skin when taking off the makeup. But the need to rub the skin with their hands while applying the makeup remover bothers many customers, so they face the dilemma of wanting to remove their makeup properly but dislike having to scrub their face.
Kao is striving to solve this problem by developing a new cleansing technology in which users simply apply the makeup remover liquid onto the entire face and then wash it off.

We looked for a way to dissolve a solid coat of makeup without having to apply force and evaluated various oil-based ingredients. In doing so, we discovered that low-viscosity, oil-based substances could instantly dissolve the coating ingredients. In addition, we tested different kinds of surfactants and found a specific one that prepares the skin surface in a way that gives it greater affinity with the water instead of the makeup during the rinsing step.

By using a mixture of this surfactant and a specific oil-based ingredients, the makeup remover instantly breaks up the makeup coat after being applied to the face. When the face is then rinsed with water, the water enters the space between the skin and the makeup, gently lifting the makeup coat away from the skin and enabling its easy removal.

Kao will use this “Apply & Rinse” spontaneous cleansing technology to develop various makeup removal products for our customers all over the world.

This research has been awarded the Young Scientist’s Oral Presentation Prize at the 74^th Divisional Meeting of the Chemical Society of Japan’s Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry.