![Shower Gel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Shower_Gel.jpg)
Shower gel (also shower cream or body wash) is a specialized
liquid product used for cleaning the body during showers. Not to be confused with
liquid soaps, shower gels, in fact, do not contain
saponified oil. Instead, it uses synthetic detergents derived from either
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
or plant sources.
Body washes and shower gels have a lower
pH value than the traditional soap, which is also known to feel less drying to the skin. In certain cases,
sodium stearate
Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid. This white solid is the most common soap. It is found in many types of solid deodorants, rubbers, latex paints, and inks. It is also a component of some food additives and food flavorings.Klaus ...
is added to the chemical combination to create a solid version of the shower gel.
History
Shower gel is a derivative invention of the liquid soap, which first appeared in the 1800s. In 1865, William Shepphard patented the formula behind the liquid soap, but the product gained eventual popularity with the rise of
Palmolive soap
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American multinational consumer products company headquartered on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company specializes in the production, distribution, and provision of household, health ca ...
in 1898, by B.J. Johnson.
Modern chemistry later enabled the creation of the shower gel, which specialized in cleaning the entire body during baths and showers.
Properties
Shower gels are known to consist of the same basic ingredients as soap - water,
betaine
A betaine () in chemistry is any neutral chemical compound with a positively charged cationic functional group, such as a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium cation (generally: onium ions) that bears no hydrogen atom and with a negatively charge ...
s, and
sodium laureth sulfate
Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), an accepted contraction of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), also called sodium alkylethersulfate, is an anionic detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.) an ...
, or SLS. But the main difference between the two products lie in its
surfactants - compounds known to lower the surface tension between substances, which helps in the emulsification and the washing away of oily dirt. The surfactants of shower gels do not come from
saponification
Saponification is a process of converting esters into soaps and alcohols by the action of aqueous alkali (for example, aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions). Soaps are salts of fatty acids, which in turn are carboxylic acids with long carbon chains. ...
, that is by reacting a type of oil or fat with
lye
A lye is a metal hydroxide traditionally obtained by leaching wood ashes, or a strong alkali which is highly soluble in water producing caustic basic solutions. "Lye" most commonly refers to sodium hydroxide (NaOH), but historically has been u ...
. Instead, it uses synthetic
detergents for surfactants derived from either plant-based sources or petroleum. This gives the product a lower pH value than soap
and might also feel less drying to the skin. Some people have likened the effect to feeling less ''squeaky clean'', however.
Surfactants can make up as much as 50 percent of the shower gel content, with the remaining proportion being made up of a combination of water and ingredients to thicken, preserve, emulsify, add fragrance, and color.
Multiple surfactants are often used to achieve desired product qualities. A primary surfactant can provide good foaming ability and cleaning effectiveness, while a secondary surfactant can add qualities of mildness to prevent irritation or over-drying of the skin. To prevent shower gel ingredients from separating, emulsifiers such as diethanolamine are added. Conditioning agents may also be added to moisturize the skin during and after product use.
They are also available in different colours and scents.
Ingredients, like scent in the form of essential oils or fragrance oils
and colorant in the form of water soluble dyes are common in shower gels.
Microbeads
Microbeads are manufactured solid plastic particles of less than one millimeter in their largest dimension. They are most frequently made of polyethylene but can be of other petrochemical plastics such as polypropylene and polystyrene.
They are ...
were commonly used in shower gels until recently. Microbeads are tiny spheres of plastic that were added to a variety of cosmetic products for their exfoliating qualities. They are too small to filter out of water systems and end up in waterways and oceans, potentially passing toxins to animal life and humans. Following the legislative actions of other countries, the United States passed the
Microbead-Free Waters Act in 2015, which bans microbeads in the U.S. incrementally starting in 2017, with full implementation set for 2019. It has been banned from production and use in cosmetics in the U.S. since July 1, 2017. In the UK - since October 1, 2018.
Shower gels for men may contain the ingredient
menthol, which gives a cooling and stimulating sensation on the skin, and some men's shower gels are also designed specifically for use on hair and body. Shower gels contain milder surfactant bases than shampoos, and some also contain gentle conditioning agents in the formula. This means that shower gels can also double as an effective and perfectly acceptable substitute to shampoo,
even if they are not labelled as a hair and body wash. Washing hair with shower gel should give approximately the same result as using a moisturising shampoo.
Marketing
Like shampoo and
bubble bath
A bubble bath is a filled bathtub with a layer of surfactant foam on the surface of the water and consequently also the surfactant product used to produce the foam or soap. Less commonly, aerated or carbonated baths are called ''bubble baths''. ...
products, many are marketed directly towards children. These often feature scents intended to appeal to children, such as fruit scents, or cookies or cotton candy scents. Many bottles feature popular characters from children's television or movies. As with men's body wash, they often are specifically designed to be used also as a shampoo and conditioner. They also often contain gentle ingredients designed for young skin.
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shower Gel
Bathing
Personal hygiene products