From an Accidental Discovery to Researching the Relationship Between Cleansing and Fascia

In the previous article, we discussed that although we take a shower every day, we rarely truly learn "how to clean the body properly." My research into body cleansing didn't actually start because I wanted to develop a body wash from the beginning. The real starting point came from an accidental discovery during the pandemic.

Why Did I Start Researching Body Cleansing?

After the pandemic began in 2020, the world suddenly placed unprecedented importance on "cleansing" and "sterilization." At that time, we also began to explore and test different sterilizing and cleansing formulas. Our original focus was simple: how to reduce microorganisms and dirt on the skin surface to avoid infection. However, during the testing process, I noticed an entirely unexpected phenomenon. After the skin was cleansed in a specific way, it didn't just feel "clean," it also felt "more relaxed." This intrigued me deeply.

Because my professional work has long involved fascia and muscles, I had never paid much attention to the skin layer itself. I am very familiar with the differences in movement when a person's body is tight versus when it is relaxed. If we are simply washing away what is on the surface of the skin, why would a person's physical sensation change with it?

Human perception is easily influenced by psychology and expectations. So, I later started using a very simple method of observation: cleansing only one side. Before cleansing, I would do a few simple movements to note the original level of tightness and how the movement felt. Then, I would cleanse only one side of the body, leaving the other side untouched. After completing this, I would perform the same movements again to compare the left and right sides. The results showed that the cleansed side really felt more relaxed. What on earth was causing this difference?

Why Doesn't a Regular Body Wash Give the Same Feeling?

Since cleansing could produce this kind of sensation, regular body washes should be able to do it too. So, I began testing various commercially available bath products. However, that was not the case. Cleansing with regular body washes or soaps did not necessarily produce the relaxation we initially observed, and this was based on double-blind testing. Although the sample size was only myself, this result made the research even more interesting! Because it meant the issue might not be as simple as "cleansing" vs. "not cleansing." Instead, it might be related to the cleansing formula, the degree of cleansing, the lathering method, the rinsing method, and the state left on the skin after cleansing. So, I decided to break down and study the act of cleansing itself.

Searching for Answers in Cleansing Ingredients

We began researching the characteristics of different surfactant systems. This included the surfactant systems commonly found in bath products, as well as the soap-based systems used in traditional bar soaps. Interestingly, when tested individually, none of them consistently produced the sensation we first observed. Later, we tried combining two cleansing systems with different characteristics. This resulted in a phenomenon that took us completely by surprise. When the two cleansing systems were combined in a specific way, a noticeable sense of relaxation began to occur. At that moment, I knew we might have found the right direction. But the truly difficult research was just beginning.

Squeaky Clean Doesn't Mean Better

There is a very important balance in cleansing products. Stronger cleansing power does not mean it is better for the body. If the proportion of soap base is too high, the skin easily feels dry and tight after washing. On the other end, if certain surfactant systems have a proportion that is too high or are not rinsed completely, they can leave a noticeably slippery residue that people mistake for "moisturizing." In reality, it may just be the after-feel of the formula itself or residue. Therefore, what we spent the most time researching later was actually not "adding more things." It was proportion. We continuously made adjustments, hoping to achieve several things simultaneously: cleansing effectively, being easy to rinse off, not drying out the skin excessively (moisturizing), not producing a noticeably artificial slippery feel, while retaining the sense of relaxation we observed in our trials. After test after test, we gradually found what we consider the ideal formula proportion. This also became the research and development foundation for the subsequent FPL Cleansing Body Wash.

Why Might Cleansing the Skin Change How the Body Feels?

This is also currently the question I am most interested in continuing to research. In the past, we easily imagined the skin as just "a layer of skin" wrapping around the outermost part of the human body. In reality, however, the human body is not a structure where layers are completely separated. From the skin and superficial fascia to the deeper connective tissues, it is a continuous system with structural and functional relationships; furthermore, the dermis layer of the skin is tightly connected to the superficial fascia (literature), figure.

Skin sensation mainly consists of pain, touch, temperature, and pressure; meanwhile, fascial tissue senses tightness and relaxation because it is densely populated with mechanoreceptors. Therefore, cleansing leading to relaxation might indirectly affect the superficial fascia through the skin layer. I believe this is a direction worthy of continued research, rather than a conclusion for which we already have a complete answer.

In 2024, We Took Our Product to the US Market for Testing

In 2024, we took our product to the United States to participate in the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) National Convention. This experience was incredibly important to me. This is because the people we met there were massage therapy professionals from all over the country who work with the human body with their hands on a long-term basis. I did not tell them what features the product had. Instead, I let them experience it directly. Many people initially tried it out of curiosity, but after cleansing, the most common thing I saw was them moving their bodies a bit, followed by a surprised expression! Most reactions were: "Why does it feel so much more relaxed after washing?" "What is in this?" "What kind of magic is this?". Through the reactions of American professionals, we became clearer about the value and significance of this body wash.

Cleansing Might Be the Most Underestimated Step in Body Maintenance

From an accidental observation during the pandemic to formula testing, and then to offline experiences at the AMTA in the US and in Taiwan, we spent several years chasing the same question: body cleansing is indeed important, but we may all have underestimated the act of "cleansing."

We are willing to spend a lot of time researching how to exercise, how to stretch, how to massage, how to eat, and how to recover.

Yet, when it comes to this thing that almost everyone does every day: taking a shower, very few people research whether they are actually washing cleanly, or how they are washing. I will not treat "cleansing can relax fascia" as a proven scientific conclusion just yet.

But the phenomenon we observed is already enough for me to keep asking:

Does cleansing the skin, besides hygiene, also affect our perception of fascia, soft tissue, and physical movement?

We originally just wanted to research how to wash the body cleanly. In the end, we started thinking about a bigger question:

Could cleansing be the long-neglected first step in fascia and body maintenance?

And in the next article, I want to return to the most practical question: How on earth should we wash to truly clean the body?