Beauty and Makeup Ingredients

Beauty and Makeup Ingredients: Ever wondered what are the actual ingredients in the beauty and makeup products that you use? With so many different products available, each claiming to do wonders, you should at least be aware of the key ingredients commonly used.

See also Wikipedia: Makeup Ingredients

Tretinoins are used primarily to treat oily, acne-prone skin. However some patients treated with topical Tretinoin have also shown improvement in skin texture, wrinkling, pigmentation and sallowness. Vitamin A improves the skin structure and increases collagen production.

Topical Tretinoin also appears to reverse the chronological ageing process at the cellular level by altering protein production and growth kinetics. It is good to repair sun damage and fine wrinkles. Retinol is the milder alternative.

Side Effects: Makes the skin sensitive to sunlight and impairs the skin's wound- healing process.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Alpha Lipoic Acid is a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory that occurs naturally within the body cells. Alpha Lipoic Acid is currently the most powerful anti-oxidant we know of and is both water and lipid soluble, making it able to fight free radicals in any part of a cell and even enter the space between cells. It is also the only known anti-oxidant that can increase a cell's metabolism, boosting its energy production and capacity to heal. It also aids in reducing edema, under-eye puffiness so is an excellent ingredient in eye creams.

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
Alpha-Hydroxy Acids includes Glycolic Acid derived from sugar cane, Lactic Acid derived from tomatoes and sour milk, Malic Acid derived from apples, Tartaric Acid derived from grapes and wine, and Citric Acid derived from citrus fruits. Now Synthetic Acids are being manufactured as well.

AHAs acts as a mild exfoliant and produces a slight stinging sensation on the skin. It penetrates the Stratum Corneum and dissolves protein bonds that hold the skin cells together. The dead cells are then shed, which increases cell turnover and allows healthy new cells to come to the surface. The process gives the skin a healthier appearance, improves its texture and color and unclogs pores thereby decreasing the build-up of black heads and spots. Long term use of AHAs helps to prevent skin irritation and increase the skin's moisture retaining abilities. The effects are immediate but all the benefits are lost once you stop using it. At high concentration of 25%, AHAs increase epidermal thickness, improve Elastin fibre qualities and increase the density of Collagen.

Side Effects: In many cases, AHAs can cause irritation especially to sensitive skin. Your skin becomes light sensitive too.

Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs)
Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) are organic Carboxylic Acid. Like AHAs they act as an exfoliant. The primary difference is that BHAs are less irritating. The most commonly used BHA is Salicylic Acid and at high concentrations of 30%, it has been shown to fade pigmented spots, decrease surface roughness and reduce fine lines.

Improved formulae of BHAs called Beta Lipohydrixy Acid or Beta LHA appear to cause epidermal thickening and improvement of the signs of ageing. BHAs are lipid oil soluble which allows them to loosen oil in the pores. Thus it is used to treat acne black heads and blemishes.

Side Effects: Skin irritation and sensitivity to light.

Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid)
Vitamin C has powerful anti-oxidant effects. It stimulates Collagen production and aids healing. It aids in the reversal of the ageing process and wrinkles.

The topical applications of Vitamin C can decrease the effects of sun exposure and UVB radiation. Topical Vitamin C does not absorb light in UVB/UVA range. It is not a sunscreen. Instead, it exerts its effects by neutralizing Oxygen free radicals. When you buy Vitamin C, it must contain Lascorbic Acid at a concentration of no less than 10%.

Side Effects: Skin irritation and stinging sensation.

Co-enzymes Q10
Co-enzymes Q10 is an alternative to Retinoids and Vitamin C. It is less irritating but however the results are less profound. It is oil soluble and an excellent anti-oxidant. It is very stable, greatly beneficial to the immune system and helps fight off free radical damage. It is usually delivered in a Liposome system to prevent irritation.

Kinerase
Kinerase contains a naturally occurring plant-growth factor, N6 Furfuryladenine, which keeps plant leafs moist and healthy and slows down the ageing of plant cells. This chemical helps to reduce the appearances of wrinkles, fine lines, hyper-pigmentation (sun spots), moisture loss and improves skin texture. Like Co-enzymes Q10, it is also an alternative to anti-oxidant like Retinoids and Vitamin C.

Ceramides
A good water-binding agent that helps to keep moisture in your skin.

Collagen
Collagen is vital to the skin's youthful, plump appearance. As an ingredient in moisturisers, collagen attracts moisture and can absorb up to 30 times its weight in water. You cannot influence Collagen production in the skin - the only way to put collagen back into your skin is to inject it or eat it.

Keratin
Keratin is a protein component of your skin. Like Collagen it attracts moisture but cannot influence keratin production in the skin.

Oxygen
Oxygen boosts cellular activity and turnover, but there is no use in topical application or blasting oxygen at your skin.

Botanicals aids
Grapeseed extracts, Pycnogenol and green tea extract all contain Polyphenois which are not only powerful anti-oxidant but also support and enhance the effects of other anti-oxidants.

Tips: Skin temperature increases during sleep and warmer skin absorbs more of a skincare product's active ingredients. Choose a treatment night cream that is packed with vitamins and reap the benefits.