Understanding the Main Ingredients in Skincare Products

The use of skincare products can be traced back to ancient cultures as in Ancient Egypt about 6,000 years ago, the Ancient Egyptians used castor, sesame, and moringa oils to fight wrinkles. They also started to make soap paste out of clay and olive oil to cleanse the skin. Evidence shows that they also took milk baths and used dead sea salts to exfoliate, rejuvenate, and heal their skin.

Now, with technology development and the progress of society, people have more and more choices in skincare products. But everyone's skin condition is different, so how to choose suitable skincare products according to their own characteristics?

This article will introduce some common ingredients of skincare products to help people who pursue beauty make every penny spent worth it.

1. Moisturizing ingredients

Hyaluronic Acid is a natural gelatinous substance that has been abundant in our body since we were born. It exists in connective tissue and has the effect of lubricating joints; it also exists in the collagen fibrous tissue of the dermis, which can help make the skin plump and moist, especially it plays an extremely important role in maintaining the elasticity and health of the collagen fibers in the skin. In addition, after skin is damaged, one of the factors related to its rapid recovery is cell mitosis. This self-repair function is also affected by hyaluronic acid.

Glycerin is a neutral, transparent viscous liquid, which is slightly sweet, colorless, odorless, and soluble in water and alcohol, but insoluble in oil. All glycerin used in skincare products is specially treated to evenly spread the water contained in the products on the skin to make the skin moisturizing. However, if the skin is damaged, it is not advisable to use glycerin, so as not to irritate the skin and affect the healing of the wound.

2. Whitening ingredients

Vitamin C can be easily found in fruits and as a strong reducer, its effects are important and extensive-covered, especially in scavenging active oxygen free radicals and promoting the body's antibody production. Vitamin C in cosmetics field inhibits melanin formation (it is a tyrosinase inhibitor). Melanin is the pigment that gives skin and hair its color. And excess melanin leads to hyperpigmentation.

The whitening principle of arbutin is to inhibit the activity of tyrosinase, increase the metabolism of melanin and reduce pigmentation. It works to fade sun spots, age spots, acne scars, and melasma. Plus, arbutin prevents future freckles and hyperpigmentation from developing, even after a sunburn. It can be found in various extracts such as bearberry extract, white mulberry extract, mulberry extract, cranberry leaf extract, etc. It should stay out of light when reserved and used.

3. Antioxidant ingredients

Retinol is to reduce the accumulation of fat in skin tissues and make the skin structure younger. The active agent in retinols is retinoic acid—that’s what’s responsible for increasing cell turnover. Essentially, the acid works by diffusing through the cell membrane and binding to receptors on the cell's nucleus, where it promotes cell growth. Retinoic acid also blocks the production of collagenase, which is an enzyme that breaks down collagen. However, retinoic acid can cause irritation, usually in the form of redness, burning, and scaling, thus most of the related products contain very little retinol.

Ceramides in skincare products are actually lipids that occur naturally in everybody’s skin. They make up over 50% of the skin’s composition. Ceramides have proven anti-aging properties, so it’s no wonder they play such an important role in protecting our skin against environmental threats and helping it look younger. If skin cells are the bricks, then ceramides are the mortar. Ceramides hold the skin together and form a protective layer to help prevent moisture loss and visible damage from the environment.

Richard J. Gray: Rich experience in drug delivery research and development and willing to share cutting-edge technologies.