There Was a Reason for 'Tightness After Washing'! FANCL Discovers New Truth About Dryness Caused by Cleansing
FANCL discovered that 'excessive penetration of cleansing ingredients' into the stratum corneum is a cause of post-cleansing dryness and tightness. To protect the skin barrier, the company developed larger molecular-sized cleansing ingredients and unique 'Select Cleanse Technology', applied in new products launching April 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 03:47 (16h 15m after Collected)
FANCL Corporation has advanced its research into the effects of daily cleansing on the skin and has identified that 'excessive penetration of cleansing ingredients' into the stratum corneum, caused by cleansing agents, is a factor in skin dryness and tightness.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in 'frictionless face washing and cleansing' to reduce the burden on the skin. A survey conducted by our company in 2025 (internet survey) targeting 984 women in their 20s to 60s revealed that 77% were concerned that "cleansing might strip away necessary moisture, leading to tightness," indicating a fear of dry skin burden.
This result made it clear that even with 'frictionless' methods, anxieties about skin burden still persist among many women.
Against this background, our company verified how cleansing ingredients affect the skin's moisture-retaining 'barrier function'. In this process, we focused on the 'molecular size' of cleansing ingredients.
【Confirmation of Barrier Function Maintenance with Cleansing Ingredients Approximately 3 Times Larger】
Our company believes that to protect the skin's moisture, it is crucial for cleansing ingredients not to penetrate too deeply into the stratum corneum. Therefore, we developed uniquely designed cleansing ingredients approximately three times the size of common cleansing ingredients and confirmed their effect on the stratum corneum.
【Molecular Size of Cleansing Ingredients Greatly Affects Stratum Corneum】
The stratum corneum on the skin's surface is only about 0.02 mm thick, almost as thin as food wrap. Our company further analyzed this stratum corneum in 1μm units to verify how deep cleansing ingredients penetrate.
The results confirmed that the degree of penetration into the stratum corneum varies significantly depending on the molecular size. Specifically, smaller molecular-sized cleansing ingredients tended to penetrate deeper into the stratum corneum, indicating a potential impact on the skin's barrier function. This is considered one of the causes of dryness and tightness after cleansing.
From the above, it was demonstrated that large molecular-sized cleansing ingredients remain on the skin surface where makeup dirt is present and do not penetrate deep into the stratum corneum.
In other words, large molecular-sized cleansing ingredients are thought to have little impact on the skin's barrier function.
【Protecting the Skin, Instantly Removing. Established Unique 'Select Cleanse Technology'】
Based on this knowledge, our company has conducted further research to achieve even higher cleansing power. As a result, we discovered mechanisms to quickly dissolve stubborn makeup films and soften pore plugs to make them easier to remove.
Through this, we established our unique cleansing technology, 'Select Cleanse Technology,' which achieves both 'high cleansing power that removes instantly' by quickly blending with and removing makeup dirt without scrubbing, and 'reliable pore plug care,' without affecting the skin's barrier function. This technology has been applied to new products launching in April 2026.
Going forward, our company will continue to advance skincare research that avoids unnecessary stress on the skin, focusing on 'what to provide' as well as 'what not to provide'.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in 'frictionless face washing and cleansing' to reduce the burden on the skin. A survey conducted by our company in 2025 (internet survey) targeting 984 women in their 20s to 60s revealed that 77% were concerned that "cleansing might strip away necessary moisture, leading to tightness," indicating a fear of dry skin burden.
This result made it clear that even with 'frictionless' methods, anxieties about skin burden still persist among many women.
Against this background, our company verified how cleansing ingredients affect the skin's moisture-retaining 'barrier function'. In this process, we focused on the 'molecular size' of cleansing ingredients.
【Confirmation of Barrier Function Maintenance with Cleansing Ingredients Approximately 3 Times Larger】
Our company believes that to protect the skin's moisture, it is crucial for cleansing ingredients not to penetrate too deeply into the stratum corneum. Therefore, we developed uniquely designed cleansing ingredients approximately three times the size of common cleansing ingredients and confirmed their effect on the stratum corneum.
【Molecular Size of Cleansing Ingredients Greatly Affects Stratum Corneum】
The stratum corneum on the skin's surface is only about 0.02 mm thick, almost as thin as food wrap. Our company further analyzed this stratum corneum in 1μm units to verify how deep cleansing ingredients penetrate.
The results confirmed that the degree of penetration into the stratum corneum varies significantly depending on the molecular size. Specifically, smaller molecular-sized cleansing ingredients tended to penetrate deeper into the stratum corneum, indicating a potential impact on the skin's barrier function. This is considered one of the causes of dryness and tightness after cleansing.
From the above, it was demonstrated that large molecular-sized cleansing ingredients remain on the skin surface where makeup dirt is present and do not penetrate deep into the stratum corneum.
In other words, large molecular-sized cleansing ingredients are thought to have little impact on the skin's barrier function.
【Protecting the Skin, Instantly Removing. Established Unique 'Select Cleanse Technology'】
Based on this knowledge, our company has conducted further research to achieve even higher cleansing power. As a result, we discovered mechanisms to quickly dissolve stubborn makeup films and soften pore plugs to make them easier to remove.
Through this, we established our unique cleansing technology, 'Select Cleanse Technology,' which achieves both 'high cleansing power that removes instantly' by quickly blending with and removing makeup dirt without scrubbing, and 'reliable pore plug care,' without affecting the skin's barrier function. This technology has been applied to new products launching in April 2026.
Going forward, our company will continue to advance skincare research that avoids unnecessary stress on the skin, focusing on 'what to provide' as well as 'what not to provide'.