Create
Design Project Gallery
Cleanse-Grader
- Program: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Course: EN.540.314 ChemBE Product Design
- Year: 2026
Project Description:
Sunscreen is branded as an essential skincare tool not just for outdoor activities, but also for everyday use. However, the same hydrophobic and long-lasting properties that help sunscreen stay on our skin during daily activities makes sunscreen a challenge to cleanse. People end their day with sunscreen residue, which in turn adversely affects their skin, the very thing that they want to protect. Cleanse-Grader is a foam cleanser that uses solvatochromism to show a visible indicator of hydrophobic residue left on people’s faces. D&C Red 27 dye, which changes color based on hydrophobic environments, is used to change the foam from magenta to red as micelles in the cleanser solubilize oils, silicones, and UV filters. This hydrophobic indicator is applicable not just on sunscreen, but also on hydrophobic makeup and natural oils that secrete through the skin.
Project Photo:
Cleanse-Grader: A color-changing cleanser for real-time visualization of residue removal
