Mo muses…I just came across this cleanser & moisturizer by Sebamed called “Clear Face.” The cleanser claims to kill bacteria from 100,000 to Zero in 5 minutes. Is this good for Rosacea ?
The Right Brain responds:
According to Sebamed’s website, Clear Face contains “the new active ingredient Montaline C40, based on coconut oil, [that] reduces the number of bacteria from 100,000 to zero in 5 minutes.” While it sounds impressive, Montaline C40 is just the brand name of a relatively new surfactant: Cocamidopropyl betainamide MEA chloride. It’s a mild foamer that purportedly has anti-bacterial properties. Are we impressed that it can kill a hundred thousand bacteria in 5 minutes? Not really. Even though it sounds better than my top score in Halo, that number doesn’t necessarily mean that Clear Face is different than other anti-bacterial face washes. Here’s why…
Sanitized by Sebamed
I’m not a microbiologist, but I do know that by law, sanitizers must kill 99.999% of a specific bacteria test population. This is known as a 5 log reduction. So if you have 100,000 bacteria and you killed 99.999% of them you’d have 1 bacterium left. That’s pretty damn close to zero so I suspect that’s where their claim comes from. In other words, their active ingredient hits the minimum efficacy to be able to say it’s bactericidal. But there are other things to consider when playing the bacteria counting game – you need to know if it’s killing the right bacteria and how fast those will grow back.
Roseacea is rough
What does this mean for rosacea? As we blogged before, there are many factors that contribute to the red face regret of rosacea. According to Rosacea.org one particular type of bacteria found on Demodex mites can prompt an inflammatory rosacea response. So an anti-bacterial agent may be helpful. Perhaps more critical is the harshness of the detergents you use on your skin. Using a mild face wash can certainly help but without further data it’s impossible for us to tell if Sebamed’s Clear Face would be milder overall that what you’re currently using. You might want to check with your dermatologist on that one.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Sebamed seems to be a reputable product despite their flashy, numbers-based claim. If they’re following the OTC monograph for acne (in the US) then it should be at least as good as other anti-acne products. Determining if it will help your rosacea from flaring up can only be determined by experimentation (after appropriate consultation with your derm, of course.)
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Thank You for the post, I had no idea that the BB blogged about this. I think I’ll give the cleanser a try & also google that new surfactant.
Thank you for this info. My mother has bad acne scarring on her face and has had facial rosacea for about 15 years now. I’ve been doing my research in college about her condition Phymatous rosacea and am looking for a treatment that can control her flare ups.
what has helped my rosacea is cleansing with a glycolic acid product, and using a glycolic moisturizer. i started using these after reading that dermatologists were having some success with treating rosacea with glycolic acid peels.
i buy “aqua glycolic” brand as it’s cheaper than a lot of other brands and the company website tells you the % glycolic acid in each product.
Most people have recommended the Made from Earth Rosehip Face Serum and Detox Cleanser – but for me, the Green Tea Toxin Cleanser, from Made from Earth, is what help rid me of my rosacea.
I have been using the Green Tea Toxin Cleanser for about 2 years. I have been pretty sure that it had significant benefits for my face, but now I am convinced.
I recently ran out and in the meantime started using an alternate cleanser. My skins redness has increased, as have small blemishes. I was delighted to spend the money this time around! It is cheap compared to other organic and chemical free cleansers, but the system works for me (cleanser & moisturizer).
Not even prescription creams have worked so well for me. I believe all the harmful chemicals in other cleansers were ADDING to my rosacea. I highly recommend the Made from Earth Green Tea Toxin Cleanser for people with rosacea – you never know if its the harful chemicals cause your face to become red like that.
As a moisturizer i use their Vitamin Enhanced Face Firming Serum – which is also chemical free…