When selecting a skincare product, it is extremely important to examine its ingredient list. Look at the first component. Is it water or is it a therapeutic healing agent such as Aloe Vera? If Aloe Vera is the first ingredient, make sure it is a pure Aloe Vera and not an aloe extract. Stay away from products that contain harsh chemicals such as acetone, camphor, fennel, menthol or phenol. They will only irritate your skin. Furthermore, look to see if the product contains pharmaceutical grade ingredients. Pharmaceutical grade means the ingredients are 100% pure. Ingredients are classified into five quality grades. In descending order, their classifications are pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, reagent, and technical. Cosmetic grade is commonly used in skin care products and pharmaceutical grade ingredients are also used in upscale treatment quality skin care products, such as Lexli skin care products. Products of this nature are recommended and sold by physicians and professional aestheticians.

How Skincare Products Work

Understanding how a skincare product works is tricky, but nonetheless, it is an important concept to grasp if you want to become an informed consumer. In this section, you will learn how skin care products are formulated, how specific ingredients function and what to look for in a product to insure the best results.

Most products are made from various chemicals and components put together to form a product. They start with a base, the main ingredient. Water is used as the base in most products. Various chemicals, such as humectants or cleansing chemicals, are then added to the base. Agents known as emollients are included to insure proper coagulation. Then fragrances, stabilizers, and carriers are added to give the product shelf life and better cosmetic presentation. Most skin care products are passive (they do not physically stimulate the skin) no matter what the marketing tries to convince you of. Only products with substantial amounts of active agents can deliver therapeutic results to the skin.

The Role of Ingredients

ACTIVE SKIN CARE AGENTS enhance cellular repair by engaging with normal biochemical physiological mechanisms. In other words, they help to stimulate and improve naturally occurring functions by interacting with the cells. For example, Aloe Vera is an active agent that stimulates the skin’s healing process. Common active agents include Glycolic Acid, Retin-A and Aloe Vera.

 

PASSIVE AGENTS serve a number of essential functions necessary for a proper skin care regime. Passive agents include humectants, cleansers, emulsifying agents and biologic additives. Passive ingredients play a crucial role in keeping the skin soft and supple by preventing water evaporation and removing oil and dirt from the skin’s surface.

HUMECTANTS are chemical substances that can absorb more that their own molecular weight in water, and thus prevent water loss from the skin. When selecting a moisturizer, make sure it contains humectants. Popular humectants include Propylene Glycol, Lanolin, Glycerin and Petrolatum.

EMULSIFYING AGENTS help to mix water soluble and oil soluble components together. Popular emulsifying agents include Glycereth-20, Carbomer, Isopropyl Palmitate and Polysorbate.

BIOLOGICAL ADDITIVES usually provide no inherent benefit but are used to make a product look, feel, and smell better. Examples include extracts of grains, flower, fruits, collagen and elastin.

 

SCREENS chemically react in the skin and selectively absorb ultraviolet light. Sunscreens are semi-active, in that the chemicals of the screen may interact with the cells and actively prevent ultraviolet damage to cells. Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 15 gives maximum protection (higher numbered screens increase protection minimally). No screen offers complete protection. Examples of screens are Methoxycinnamate and Oxybenzone.

BLOCKS provide mechanical protection by covering the skin. They provide complete protection from ultraviolet light. Blocks contain Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide.

 

EXFOLIANTS are usually active chemicals that actually dissolve away the keratin (built up layers of dead skin and debris). Although exfoliants promote normal skin growth, they do not play a large role in direct healing or wound repair. Exfoliants are likely to contain Glycolic Acid or Vitamin-A.

Now when you look at the back of your product label, you will be more educated of what’s in your product and I hope you feel comfortable with what you’re applying to your face!