Cleansing

Ingredients with the cleansing function help to remove impurities, excess sebum, makeup residues, dust and other substances that do not completely mix with water from the surface of the skin and hair. Most often, this role is performed by surfactants.: they bind fat-soluble contaminants and make them easier to wash off with water. Therefore, they are used in washing gels, shampoos, foams, micellar solutions and cleansing wipes. In the official materials of the FDA, cleansers for skin, hair and wipes for removing impurities are explicitly considered as a separate category of cosmetic products. (fda.gov)

Such components affect not only cleanliness, but also the feeling after application: how much the product foams, is easily distributed, quickly washed off and leaves the skin or hair softer or, conversely, "squeaky clean". Mild cleansers are usually chosen for sensitive skin and delicate hair washing, while more intense ones are used to deeply remove sebum and dense impurities. In the formulation, they also shape the texture of the product, the stability of the foam, and the overall ease of use. Typical examples include Cocamidopropyl Betaine, which is described in the CIR database as a surfactant-cleansing agent and is often used in shampoos and cleansers, as well as traditional soaps based on fatty acid salts, which the FDA separately defines as products, whose statements on the label refer only to cleansing. (cir-safety.org)

However, the function itself does not mean that the ingredient treats the skin or hair.: its task is hygienic removal of impurities and maintenance of cleanliness. If a cleansing product is declared to be antibacterial or therapeutic, other regulatory requirements may already apply to it. For the consumer, this means a simple rule: ingredients with this function are primarily responsible for effective and convenient cleansing, and their softness and comfort depend on the specific substance and the entire formula of the product. (fda.gov)