Seven questions in the Cleansing Gel tests, not one promise to remove everything

What did the cleanser studies measure?

The reports measured specified surface endpoints after a single use, not every possible meaning of “clean skin.” The reported numerical outcomes are pore area 47.0%, volume 48.6%, count 33.8%, depth 16.8%, blackheads 51.9% and dead skin 98.4%.

The brand-held ProBM studies involved 20 women and were conducted in 2023. Sebum was also assessed, but the percentage in the available summary and participant table requires reconciliation. We do not publish a percentage before that discrepancy is resolved.

Presenting six clear results and one unresolved numerical result is more honest than forcing all seven into a confident-looking chart. The withheld percentage does not erase the other records; it simply marks the boundary of what is currently supported.

Can all seven questions become a single cleansing score?

No. Pore dimensions, blackhead appearance, dead skin and sebum are different endpoints. They should not be added, averaged into a homemade product score or replaced with whichever percentage looks largest.

For example, 98.4% concerns the reported dead-skin measurement, not the percentage of all impurities removed. The pore-count change is 33.8%, not the 29.7% recorded in the separate 3F ampoule pore report.

These distinctions are especially important within one brand range. A familiar institution or similar-looking chart does not make the reports interchangeable. Product name, endpoint and period must travel with the result.

Does one-use testing mean double cleansing is never needed?

No. A one-use observation does not establish that this cleanser removes every water-resistant sunscreen, long-wear foundation or eye makeup product completely. Those are specific removal questions with their own conditions.

Whether a second cleansing step is appropriate depends on the products worn, their directions and your skin’s response. We do not use the ProBM surface metrics to make a universal instruction that everybody must - or must not - double cleanse.

Likewise, an additional wash is not automatically a better outcome. Follow the relevant removal directions rather than repeatedly washing to reproduce a laboratory percentage. If irritation or persistent tightness develops, reconsider the routine and seek advice where needed.

Do the reports prove hydration or barrier improvement?

The listed endpoints do not, by themselves, establish long-term hydration or barrier recovery. Those claims need appropriate measurements and observation periods, rather than an inference from how clean the skin appears.

A sebum measurement is not the same as a barrier measurement. Nor is a reduction in a dead-skin metric a direct test of hydration. Each asks a different question, and a favorable result in one category does not answer the others.

We also avoid declaring that the formula contains no surfactants without a verified ingredient list and a clear definition. A “zero” claim is a formulation claim, not something proved by these pore or surface measurements.

What is a useful way to read the cleanser evidence?

Read it as a product-specific record of defined short-term observations. Start with the intended role of a rinse-off cleanser, then examine the endpoint, participant group, single-use timing and source rather than comparing it with a leave-on ampoule as if the uses were identical.

Keep the unresolved sebum figure separate. A reliable evidence page can explain what was measured without selecting one of two conflicting numbers. Once the original tables are reconciled, the record can be updated with the correct basis.

For your own routine, the practical questions are simpler: which products need removing, what their instructions require and whether the cleansing process is comfortable. The study cannot answer all of those for every individual.

A cleanser does not need a claim to remove everything, suit everyone or repair every barrier to have meaningful product evidence. Clear boundaries make its measured results easier to use.

Related reading

Information only. Follow the current package directions. Cosmetics do not replace diagnosis or treatment.