Here are some of the most popular oils:
Argan Oil/Moroccan Oil has three times more vitamin E than olive oil. It is often mixed with cheaper oils so check the ingredients list.
Jojoba Oil is a wax very similar to our skin’s natural oils. This oil helps with moisture retention and the penetration of other active ingredients.
Marula Oil is a popular antioxidant oil mostly composed of oleic acid and linoleic acid.
Olive Oil is an anti-inflammatory monounsaturated oil containing oleic acid.
Rose Hip Oil can be a source of antioxidants.
Squalane (produced from plant sources) acts as an emollient and promotes a soft and smooth feel to the skin. It is rapidly absorbed when applied topically so it does not leave an oily residue. It is also an antioxidant.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants protect your skin’s collagen from free radicals, the toxic oxygen molecules generated by pollution, sun damage, and cell renewal. Unfortunately, most antioxidants are delicate and are often ineffective in topical skin care products. The concentrations are too small and the antioxidants in products are probably no longer effective in fighting free radicals. Antioxidant “dusting” is when a manufacturer lists an antioxidant but only includes a tiny amount. Look at the ingredient list and make sure it is toward the top. Buying an antioxidant in jar packaging can be a waste of money. Once exposed to air, the antioxidant will become oxidized and deactivated.
A handful of antioxidants may be topically applied with success. Vitamins C and E are the best options. Here are others commonly found in skin care products:
Coenzyme Q10 (coQ10) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that can also minimally reduce wrinkles. Its best use is that it can successfully prevent UVA-irradiation damage. Idebenone is the stable form of coQ10.
Coffee Berry is an antioxidant that combats free radicals throughout the entire skin cell. Coffee berry also contains exfoliating polyhydroxy acids.
Ferulic Acid is a plant-based antioxidant made from bran. Research supports its use as a stabilizer for vitamin E and helpful in sun protection.
Ginko Biloba is an antioxidant that can increase blood flow and help with inflammation from sun exposure.
Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes (wine). Like CoQ10, its anti-aging benefit is that it assists with the prevention of sunlight damage (with resveratrol the wavelength is UVB). It is a good ingredient in bb cream or sunscreen.
The antioxidant in green tea is called polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallage or EGCG. However, EGCG is water soluble so it is not well suited for skin penetration. There is insufficient evidence that topical application is beneficial to humans.
Other Goodish Ingredients
Bee Venom has some wound healing properties and there is a chance it can decrease inflammatory acne lesions.
Peptides are fragments of amino acids used to create proteins. There are three different types of peptides used in skin care products. Peptides can be effective but only in a limited capacity. Do not purchase an expensive peptide product in a jar.
Signal peptides stimulate skin fibroblasts to produce more collagen, elastin, and other proteins in the matrix of the dermis. Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide-4), palmitoyl tripeptide-1, palmitoyl oligopeptide, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 are signal peptides with small but some positive results producing collagen.
Carrier peptides deliver trace elements, like copper and magnesium, which help with wound repair and enzymatic processes. It is unlikely that most signal peptides can penetrate the dermis.
Enzyme inhibitor peptides interfere with the enzyme reactions that degrade cell structure, so they preserve the collagen in your skin. These include gamma-aminobutryic acid (GABA) and dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE). Scientific studies have not proven that these peptides can penetrate the skin.
Snail mucin is a complex bioactive material containing hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, peptides, and other elements. The hydrating effects come from the hyaluronic and glycolic acids.
Common Ingredients That Are Not Very Effective
Algae in cosmetics can act as a water binding agent and an antioxidant. Algae does not reduce wrinkling or heal skin.
Aloe mucin from an actual aloe vera plant helps with wound healing. However, studies suggest that aloe is not shelf stable and aloe in products has no healing properties.
Alpha Lipoic Acid is said to help regenerate vitamin C and E and remodel collagen. However, the science doesn’t support its use other than as an effective moisturizer.
Botanical Anti-Inflammatories include chamomile, aloe, and licorice. Despite their popularity there is insufficient scientific support for the claim that these ingredients have a potent anti-inflammatory effect when applied to human skin in the concentrations available in cosmetic products.
Ceramides added to topical moisturizers are only absorbed in the topmost dead layers of your skin so they are not very effective when applied topically.
Collagen and Elastin molecules are not small enough to penetrate the skin’s surface and neither molecule can actually fuse with the collagen and elastin in your skin. This is true even if the product says the collagen or elastin is “bioengineered.”
Epidermal Growth Factors (EGFs) are derived from plant or human fetal fibroblasts or bioengineered from human skin. They are supposed to slow the aging process and trigger cell proliferation. However, there is insufficient scientific support for their effectiveness.
Kinetin is a plant derived growth hormone that promotes cell division and slows the aging process in plant cells. There is no scientific support for the claim that kinetin stimulates cell growth, although it can be an effective moisturizer.
Stem Cells only work if they are living and products do not contain living stem cells.
Ingredient Reference Guide
If you want even more of the science or if you have questions about any particular ingredient, go to the ingredient dictionary on the Paula’s Choice website which can be found at www.paulaschoice.com/ingredient-dictionary. Paula Begoun, the cosmetic cop, shares her science-based opinion on the ingredient and often cites scientific studies.
Chapter Three: The Daily Routine
Step One: Wash Your Face
The purpose of cleansing is to gently remove dirt and cell debris. The best cleanser for you is the mildest cleanser that will clean your skin without stripping your skin of essential moisture.
The cleanser should not be harsh and should not leave your skin feeling dry or flaky. If your skin feels tight after washing with a cleanser, it is not right for your skin. In general, the more a cleanser foams, the more drying it will be because it likely contains a larger quantity of detergent. Liquid or lotion style cleansers tend to be gentler. A good oil cleanser will function as a super gentle surfactant that loosens dried up debris on your face.
If your skin tends to be acne prone, you want to wash away oil and you should consider a cleanser that has 2% salicylic acid. Otherwise, use a separate exfoliating acid not in cleanser form.
Your nighttime cleanser can be slightly stronger to wash off makeup and dirt.
Micellar water is popular. Micellation is the process which soaps and detergents break down big chemicals such as oil and dirt (and eye makeup) into smaller ones so they can rinse off the skin easily. Micellar water will do a good job removing heavy eye makeup. Otherwise you don’t really need it. If you do use it, micellar water works best using warm water.
Double cleansing is also popular, especially in Korean skin care routines. First you use an oil-based cleanser to remove heavy makeup, sun screen, and pollution. Then, you use a water-based cleanser to wash any extra dirt.
Cleansers are a great place to keep it basic and simple. There is no reason to spend money on an expensive cleanser with added ingredients that will wash off before they can be fully effective.
Save Time and Money: Skip the Toner
American style toners are mostly just exfoliators that are designed to close pores
and tighten skin. Asian style toners tend to be moisturizers. Your toner may also contain ingredients that are drying, so while they may feel smooth and cool, your skin is left parched. Some toners contain moisturizing and anti-inflammatory substances like (rosewater and cucumber) to combat their drying effect. A toner containing witch hazel is rich in tannins and will feel tightening. This feeling is temporary and has no long-term effect.
The bottom line is that a separate toner is superfluous if you exfoliate and moisturize.
Evening Step Two: Exfoliate
Exfoliation produces benefits that should be immediately noticeable (in contrast to serums which take months for effects to be perceptible). Sloughing off dead skin instantly brightens your complexion and makes it look fresher. In theory, you could also scrub dead skin cells with a loofa. Or you can use a home microdermabrasion cream which contains scrubbing granules. However, since AHAs and BHAs increase collagen production, they will provide the best result.
If you have dry or sensitive skin, try lactic acid, which is the gentlest option.
How often should you exfoliate? Exfoliation also removes the vitamin C and E embedded in the stratum corneum. Stripping these vitamins away is akin to robbing your skin of its supplies. Heavy duty exfoliators are meant to be used once per week. Lighter exfoliators can be used daily.
How long should you leave on the AHA? The first time you use an AHA, leave it on for one minute and then rinse it off. As you get used to the product, you can leave it on for longer. Ideally, you will leave it on for 20 minutes before using another product, such as a moisturizer. AHAs work at a pH of 4. At some point, your skin’s natural pH will impede the AHA.
Step Three: Encourage Repair and Recovery
The goal here is to repair the skin to healthy levels of nutrients, which can become depleted by poor skin care, sun and pollution, and over-exfoliation. When you massage products into your skin you are increasing the blood supply and that blood is bringing oxygen. While this may increase blood circulation, this will not increase skin cell absorption.
Repair skin with either an essence or a serum. What is the difference between an essence and a serum? An essence is simply a thin, watery lotion. Think of a traditional moisturizer only more liquefied. A serum is a lightweight, gel-like moisturizer that is less emollient than your average cream. Serums are formed from water and oil incompletely mixed. Serums mix well with skin oils and allow for the easy application of makeup.
Choose an essence or serum if you have oily skin. Choose a cream or lotion if you have dry skin.
For anti-aging, use a vitamins C and E combined serum in the morning and a retinol serum or retinol cream at night. If you wish, add a peptide serum.
For acne treatment, use a niacinamide serum and an BHA.
Step Four: Moisturize
The best products will have occlusive moisturizers, humectant moisturizers, and hyaluronic acid. Cream moisturizers are thick oil-in-water emulsions made with mineral oil or lanolin. Moisturizing lotions are lighter. They have high water content and a specialty ingredient to give them slip (a nice feel). Gel moisturizers are clear and thick. They are made with less water than lotions. Oils are occlusive moisturizers. They form a barrier on the skin and keep other ingredients out.
Spraying an oil and water mixture on your face will provide temporary hydration and will feel nice but will not provide the same long lasting moisturization as a cream or lotion.
For daytime, you may wish to use a combination moisturizer/foundation/sunscreen. These products can be very convenient. BB Cream (blemish balm) is usually a tinted moisturizer often with the addition of sunscreen and may contain a dusting of antioxidants. CC Cream (color and correct cream) is usually a standard liquid foundation that may contain a dusting of antioxidants.
At night, you may wish to apply a moisturizer or moisturizing oil (such as squalane) after any repairing serums. If you use a hydrating serum and your skin feels refreshed, you do not necessarily need a cream or lotion moisturizer.
Eye Cream (optional)
The majority, professional opinion is that a separate eye cream is not necessary. Eye cream is simply an additional expensive moisturizer. Use your regular chosen products around but not too close to your eyes.
There is an exception if you have dark under-eye circles which can be exacerbated by slow blood flow. To increase the blood flow use a regenerating eye cream with vitamin K. There are clinical studies demonstrating that vitamin K in eye cream stimulates microcirculation and increases collagen production.
Day Time Step Five: Sun Protection
This is not optional! All skin care professionals agree that sun protection is the single most important step in any skin care routine.
Sunscreen and sunblock are not the same thing and you may want to use both daily.
Sunscreens work by absorbing UV rays and changing them into a wavelength of light that is not harmful to the skin. UVA and UBA are different wavelengths, both of which cause DNA damage, lead to formation of free radicals, cause wrinkling, and can lead to skin cancer.
Make sure to use a “broad spectrum” product to protect against both types. Some sunscreens (especially SPF tinted moisturizers and face lotions) only protect against UVB. They do not contain the blocking ingredients that protect against UVA rays (which cause both skin cancer and premature aging) so check the label.
Chemical sunscreens with avobenzone, octinoxate, oxybenzone need time (20 minutes) to soak into your skin.
Sunblocks work by creating a physical block that sits on the skin like a barrier. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are common sunblocks. These minerals can be less irritating but they also can be unflattering and leave a white film on your face. Mineral sunscreens will provide immediate protection.
You can absolutely use a foundation, tinted moisturizer, BB or CC cream to achieve sun protection. Loose pressed powders can and should be layered on top to create a physical barrier.
Do you forget to apply sunscreen to your hands? Here is a “try this at home” hack for sun protection. Keep an SPF lotion in your car and apply it to your hands when you stop at a red light.
Application and Combining Products
Putting one product over another can decrease the chance of absorption. However, most skin care companies say this is fine (no surprise). Nonetheless, it is best to allow plenty of individualized absorption time, especially for expensive items.
Apply vitamin C to clean dry skin. If applied to damp skin, vitamin C becomes destabilized and inactivated and will have no antioxidant effect. Leave your vitamin C (or C+E serum) it to do its work before applying anything additional. If using vitamin C in the morning, wait 10-15 minutes before proceeding. Some of the product will be absorbed immediately, but the longer the better.
Apply your exfoliating acid directly to skin and not on top of another product. Ideally you should let it work for several minutes (20 minutes if you have it or even overnight) before applying anything else, such as a moisturizer.
If you buy an exfoliating acid cleanser, know that most of your product is going down the drain. Buy your exfoliating acid as a liquid that you apply with a cotton pad or on an already saturated pad.
Common advice is to use a retinoid a minimum of two times per week, depending on your age. Retinoids need three to six months to show results. Evidence suggests retinoids can increase sunburns so it is more common to use a retinol product at night.
Do not exfoliate and then apply a retinoid. The exfoliating acid will interfere with the retinoid. Many companies say their products take this issue into account (by microencapsulating the retinol) and have combating agents, but it seems better just to use them separately.
Similarly, do not exfoliate and then apply vitamin C. The exfoliating acid will nullify the effectiveness of the vitamin C.
You may use a retinoid with niacinamide. However, both can be irritating so often doctors recommend using one in the morning and the other at night.
Scientifically, it doe
sn’t matter if your skin is super wet or dry before you apply an oil-based moisturizing lotion. Similarly, it does not matter if you pat or rub the product on.
Chapter Four: Cult Favorites and Other Great Products
Prior to doing this research, I had a deep bias in favor of boutique skin care companies. Their products seem more luxurious, have more appealing packaging, and create a sense of inclusion. However, the more important scientifically supported research and development breakthroughs usually come from the big companies who put more money into research. If you want science backed skin care, the larger brands provide a better bang for your buck. And, ironically, many of the boutique brands are actually owned by the giant cosmetic corporations.
Here is a list of big companies and some of the boutique brands they own: Estee Lauder owns Aveda, Clinique, Crème de la Mer, Dr. Jart+, Origins, Prescriptives, and is an investor in Deciem/The Ordinary. L’Oreal owns BioMedic, Biotherm, Kiehls, La Roche Posay, Lancome, Maybelline, Skinceuticals and Vichy. Johnson & Johnson owns Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Neutragena, and ROC. Shisedio owns Bare Minerals. Procter & Gamble owns SK-II and Murad. Unilever owns Kate Sommerville and Murad.
Some smaller companies are still privately owned. These include cult favorites such as Paula’s Choice, Drunk Elephant, Tata Harper, Thayers and Sunday Riley.
The products listed below are not necessarily products I endorse and I have not tried them all. These are the products that I most frequently encountered online and on podcasts and was most curious about. Paula Begoun, the cosmetic cop, has a book called Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me. The latest addition was written in 2012. It has an amazing directory of companies and products and hopefully the next addition will review many of the products listed here.
Skin Care Ingredients Page 2
