Olay Daily Facial Cloths: Look at the Label

The number one selling beauty product on Amazon.com today is: Olay 2-in-1 Daily Facial Cloths. What makes them two in one? Let’s look at the label:

Olay Daily Facial Cloth Ingredients

Petrolatum
A skin moisturizer that helps stop moisture from evaporating from skin. This provides one part of the two in one functionality.

PEG 100
Emulsifying agent that helps mix oil and water.

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Relatively mild detergent to clean skin. This, along with the next 2 ingredients, provides the second part of the two in one functionality.

Decyl Glucoside
Another mild skin cleansing agent that is derived from corn.

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Foam booster, again another mild ingredient.

Cyclodextrin
A starch derived material that is typically used to trap other ingredients to provide slow release. Not sure what its role is in this particular formula.

Butylene Glycol
A solvent that can also help suppress viscosity.

PEG 14M
Thickening agent

Hamamélis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract
Natural extract that can have some astringent properties.

Salicylic Acid
At high enough levels of this beta hydroxy acid can help fight acne and smooth complexion. Since this isn’t a drug product it’s unlikely it uses it at a functional level.

Panthenol
Provitamin that has some moisturizing properties. Again probably just featured ingredient in this formula.

Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Preservatives.

Polyquaternium 10
Cationic polymer that has some conditioning properties.

Fragrance (Parfum)
Yummy scent.

Menthol
Anti-itch ingredient when used at the proper level in a drug product. Could be used here to give skin a mild tingly effect.

Tocopheryl Acetate
Vitamin E derivative unlikely that it really does anything in this formula.

Niacinamide
Another vitamin derivative. This one does have the ability to help brighten skin when used at high enough concentrations in leave on products.

Ascorbyl Glucoside
A stabilized version of vitamin C.

Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA
More preservatives.

Sodium Ma Diisobutylene, Copolymer
Most likely some sort of stabilizing agent.

Silica
Usually used as an anti-caking agent in powders. Not sure what its function would be here.

BHT
Antioxidant to protect the product.

Sodium Laurate
Fatty alcohol derived emulsifier.

Image credit: Amazon.com