The beauty industry is filled with numerous skincare innovations but knowledge and understanding of the science behind the products are crucial for making better purchases. To demystify some of the common problems and anomalies associated with the formulation of skins, a cosmetic chemist helped us and gave us an insight into the world. From the types of ingredients used to the use of essential oils, this expert Q&A covers pretty much all there is to know.
Q1: What’s the number one thing that someone has to consider when buying any skincare product?
Cosmetic Chemist: The most kelp to forming a decision in regard to the care of one’s skin is the skin type that one has. Are you trying to fight acne? Are you trying to add moisture? Do you wish to combat aging and decrease the appearance of fine lines and by extension wrinkles? It is very important to know your skin type and your skin concerns to achieve any of these tasks. Thereafter, the next very important consideration is active ingredients. For instance, retinoids, vitamin C, hyaluronate acid, and niacinamide – are ingredients whose efficacy has been established through studies. It is paramount that always the product efficacy is carefully checked on the ingredients list so that the product’s active components are in the right amount.
Q2: There are different types of active ingredients in a skincare product? Which is the most important of them all?
Cosmetic Chemist: Concentration is key. There are numerous products in the market that claim to have some active ingredient in them, but if it is not in any significant concentration, then it is in vain. Vitamin C serums for instance must contain a concentration of at least 10-20% to provide antioxidant properties and brighten the skin. The same applies to retinol, whereby the revision microencapsulated retinol claims that 0.5% to 1% is required to erase the aging effects. When checking the label of a particular product, actives should ideally be among the first few ingredients.
Q3: What do you consider when recommending ingredients to be incorporated in a product formulation?
Cosmetic Chemist: A lot of it comes down to synergy and stability. Certain ingredients are more efficient when used in combination with others making the use of one ingredient more beneficial than if it were used alone. For instance, vitamin C and ferulic acid alongside vitamin E provide a topical vitamin C formulation with improved stability and antioxidant activity. Perhaps more commonly, ingredients may fight each other or the skin when combined, such as benzoyl peroxide plus retinol or retinoids which may cause reddening. Our role is to make sure that not only do these elements work together, but they will also remain effective and safe over time.
Q4: What is the reason for the emphasis laid on product formulation?
Cosmetic Chemist: Formulation is very fundamental in any skincare product. Let’s say a product has great active materials, but if there is no good formula designed for it, the result won’t happen. Things such as the product’s texture, its pH, and even delivery systems (for instance, encapsulation for some actives) affect the extent to which a product gains its efficacy through the skin. For a cream, it takes little imagination to say that all ingredients used would be of high quality. However, such a cream would be less effective than a correctly formulated cream with a proper composition that interacts favorably with skin, ensuring optimal retention and stabilization.
Q5: What are the benefits of essential oil in skincare?
Cosmetic Chemist: As with most things in skincare, essential oils have their advocates and proponents. On the one hand, they have phytochemicals that might be fruitful such as having anti-germ and anti-infection activity. Hence, it is common to find the use of tea tree oil for putting on the acne since it is anti-bacterial. On the other hand, some people are sensitive or irritated by essential oils regardless of the concentration, when used undiluted, especially on sensitive skin. They should always be fairly gentle and should primarily be incorporated with other reinforcing components for them to be safe from causing irritation. I would suggest buying products from a trustworthy brand such as HBNO, to prevent irritation.
Q6: Are cosmetic products created with compositions of natural ingredients more ideal than those formulated with synthetic compositions?
Cosmetic Chemist: The word ‘natural’ in the cosmetics world is one of the most abused terms. It also doesn’t mean that natural is better and synthetic is worse. In fact, some of the most useful and safest compounds are produced by desk research. Take, for example, hyaluronic acid and many peptides that are usually optimized via lab synthesis where there is control of what goes into the parameter The issue is that many of the natural sources used today have certain limitations. Some can be very effective, or even irritate the skin, but the desirability aspects are lost. The ingredients should be looked at in terms of design where the intent is to create efficacious and safe products, without bias on the oral or topical institutional systems.
Q7: What is the reason for the use of preservatives in the formulation of skin care products?
Cosmetic Chemist: Preservatives are very important in the area of skin care since they inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast that would otherwise result in spoilage of the product and subsequent skin reactions. Many consumers, however, are concerned with the use of preservatives such as parabens and other compounds. Nevertheless, it is a misconception to think that preservatives do not serve any purpose in making products safe for use for some time. In the absence of preservatives, water-based products will have a short shelf life. That being said, more and more often there are formulations that are ‘paraben-free’ and ‘clean’, such as phenoxyethanol, which is much safer.
Conclusion
The scientific aspect of skincare may be daunting to many. Nonetheless, learning the basics is essential in helping people make better choices about the products they buy. Fortunately, with the help of our cosmetic chemist insights, we have talked about everything from ingredient breakdowns and formulation knowledge to essential oils and preservatives. Skincare is not universal – the choice of products suitable for your skin type and issues is what will provide that beautiful healthy skin we all desire.
