Five dimensions of cleansing: A holistic view on the facets and importance of skin cleansing

Cleansing is an important human ritual practised for hygiene, well-being and relaxation over centuries. As part of body care it is often taken for granted, yet its relevance cannot be underestimated. Although cleansing the skin may seem trivial to some, it is accepted, that this fundamental function of skin cleansing products is highly complex, diverse and crucial for a variety of reasons in the personal, public, healthcare and dermatological settings. Employing a comprehensive and strategic approach in viewing cleansing and its rituals, supports innovation, understanding and development. Apart from being a fundamental function, as far as we know, there is no comprehensive presentation of skin cleansing with all its effects besides ‘removing dirt’. To our knowledge, comprehensive analyses on the multi-dimensional facets of skin cleansing are either rare or not published. Against this background, we examine the importance of cleansing in terms of function, relevance and concepts. First, the key functions and efficacies of skin cleansing were investigated by literature research. Based on this survey, the functions were analysed, sorted and merged and a novel approach to skin cleansing ‘dimensions’ was developed. Herewith, we took into consideration the evolution of skin cleansing in terms of concept evolution, complexity and testing methods for cleansing products and their claims. Several multi-dimensional functions of skin cleansing were identified and then established into five skin cleansing dimensions, namely: hygienic and medical importance; socio-cultural and interpersonal relevance; mood, emotion and well-being; cosmetic and aesthetic function; corneobiological interactions. It became obvious, that these five dimensions with their corresponding 11 sub-dimensions, are influenced by each other throughout history by culture and society, technical progress, scientific knowledge and consumer trends. This article presents the enormous complexity of skin cleansing. Skin cleansing has evolved from basic care up to a highly complex and diverse cosmetic product category in terms of technology, efficacy and usage routine(s). In view of future challenges, such as the effects of climate and associated lifestyle changes, the development of skin cleansing will remain an exciting and important topic and thus will finally, again, further increase the complexity of skin cleansing itself.