What are surfactants?

surfactants? Yes, heard before. But what exactly is it all about and why are they necessary? In this blog post we shed some light into the darkness!

What are surfactants?

Water alone is often not enough to remove dirt particles such as grease, sweat or cosmetic residue from our skin or hair.
The solution: Surfactants, also known as detergents or washing-active substances.

They reduce the surface tension of two phases, such as water and oil. This is because fats are hydrophobic, i.e. not water-soluble, and the two substances therefore do not combine with each other.

Surfactants thus enable the removal of fat-soluble residues on the skin with water. It's like a greasy frying pan. The pan can only be properly cleaned by adding detergent.

How surfactants work:

Surfactants have a hydrophilic (= water-loving) part and a lipophilic (= fat-loving) part. They wrap themselves with the lipophilic part around fat and dirt particles and can then be dissolved by water through their hydrophilic side.

Already knew?

Surfactants are also responsible for foaming. But beware of the myth: Just because a product foams less does not mean it cleans better or worse.

Are surfactants harmless?

With surfactants, a distinction is made between aggressive and mild surfactants. However, some surfactants remove dirt so well that the cleaning power can cause skin irritation.

And at puremetics?

Compared to other surfactants, the surfactants we use are very mild and well tolerated. We use lots of oils and vegetable butters to directly care for the skin during cleansing, despite the mild surfactant.

We give skin & hair exactly what it needs! Click here and find the perfect care for your body.

If you would like to be informed directly about the latest blog posts, please follow us Instagram ! :-)