Skincare products are formulated using various ingredients, each serving a specific purpose to address different skin concerns. These ingredients can be categorized based on their function and benefits for the skin in the following categories:
- Moisturizing ingredients – Humectants, ceramides, emollients, occlusives, and skin barrier repair agents
- Exfoliants
- Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory
- UV filters – sunscreen agents
- Cleansers – surfactants, skin barrier repair agents, astringents
- Anti-aging, skin brighteners
- Astringents
- Anti-acne
- Lip products
- Nail care
- Hair care
- Scalp massage
- Hand washes
Skincare products – Moisturizing ingredients
Moisturizers hydrate the skin, camouflage blemishes, give it a slight sheen, and keep it soft and supple. They also help restore the skin’s natural barrier, which protects it from irritants and pollutants. The massaging action of applying moisturizer helps stimulate blood circulation and new cell generation.
Moisturizer ingredients can be classified into humectants, emollients, occlusives, and other ingredients. Abrutyn, E. S. (2022). Humectants draw moisture into the skin from the air and deeper layers. The most popular humectants are hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe vera.
Emollients fill gaps between skin cells to soften and smooth dry skin. Shea butter, coconut oil, and cocoa butter are some of the most preferred ingredients. Petroleum jelly, mineral oil, and lanolin are popular occlusives that create a protective layer on your skin and prevent moisture loss.
Ceramides, essential fatty acids, sodium PCA (pyroglutamic acid), and niacinamide are other moisturizer ingredients.
Skincare Products – Classifying Ingredients- Fragrances
An entire range of fragrances are added to moisturizing products. Fragrances in the Bible include myrrh, frankincense, calamus, cinnamon, saffron, and lemongrass. Fragrance preferences vary, including floral scents, woody scents like sandalwood, and spicy notes like pepper, cassia, etc.
All-natural perfumes are from botanical ingredients like essential oils, plant extracts, and absolutes. In contrast, chemical-based perfumes are made from synthetic aroma chemicals formulated in a laboratory—these often mimic natural scents.
Natural perfumes typically last one to two years, unlike synthetic fragrances, which can last up to five years. Synthetic perfumes can be richer and denser. This allows perfumers to innovate and create new and complex scents that can be customized and designed to last longer.
Synthetic fragrances developed in laboratories are not susceptible to the same issues as natural notes. They replicate natural notes. The scents can be fully synthetic, with the fragrance derived from petroleum by-products. Semi-synthetic fragrances can be created from synthetic, natural, or artificially modified notes. Natural isolates are developed from artificial and natural byproducts.
Synthetic notes last longer because of fixatives. Fixatives prevent volatile fragrances from rapidly evaporating, helping scents last longer. The first step entails blending notes of your perfume. One perfume may contain more than a hundred different notes. When blended, a beautiful scent is created. Scents change as time passes. They may become stronger after two minutes and more potent after twenty minutes. Once the notes have been blended, these are diluted using alcohol.
Fragrances are ubiquitous in almost all cosmetic products. Flavors and aromas are added to make such products more attractive or to mask the taste or smell of less pleasant ones. Green consumerism has led to the resurgence of natural fragrances.
Skincare Products – Classifying Ingredients – Natural plant oils
Natural plant oils are commonly used in moisturizing products. They are often inexpensive options for skin care. Oils with a higher ratio of linoleic acid to oleic acid have better skin barrier repair potential. Oils with higher amounts of oleic acid may harm skin barrier function. Jojoba oil, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, oat oil, argan oil, and olive oil have been widely used in moisturizing products. (Vaughn, A. R. et al., 2018)
The most popular moisturizing products were lotions, creams, butter, and ointments. The three most common allergens identified were fragrance mix, paraben mix, and tocopherol. (Xu, S. et al., 2017)
Natural does not mean non-toxic. Wild almonds, for instance, contain cyanide, but customers prefer them because they are plant-based, natural, or organic and support sustainable development.
Natural oils and scents are derived from trees and plants and extracted from animals. These have flowery and musky scents you love. However, natural notes do not last long. Moreover, recreating the same natural fragrances is difficult, even if you get the notes from the same sources. This is why much of the world of fragrances uses synthetic notes and bases; natural scents give inconsistent results.
Although beautiful, natural fragrances can be environmentally degrading. The scents can fluctuate with climate change, pollution, heat and cold waves, or pesticides. Genetics, variety, and cross-pollination are other causes of variations in natural scents.
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