skincare ingredients – My 52 Week Project

Skincare Products – Toner

Toner, which should be used after your cleanser and before your other products, helps remove any remaining dirt or oil from your skin, and helps shrink your pores. Given this, it’s especially useful for acne prone skin. It also helps to restore your skin’s pH balance, meaning it will better absorb your next products. YouContinue reading “Skincare Products – Toner”

Skincare Ingredients – Brightening

Many individuals suffer with dark spots and hyper-pigmentation, which leads to skin tine which appears duller and uneven. This is caused by an accumulation of melanin in your skin; skin brightening agents work to block the enzyme which is generally responsible for the overproduction of melanin. Hydroquinone: This is a “skin lightener”, which helps withContinue reading “Skincare Ingredients – Brightening”

Skincare Ingredients – Surfactants

These ingredients are generally found in cleansers, attracting water and oil off the skin. Some pull too much off the skin, leaving skin feeling dry, but most are appropriate for all skin types. Decyl Glucoside: Given that it has a large molecule structure, this surfactant absorbs less into the skin than others, allowing it toContinue reading “Skincare Ingredients – Surfactants”

Skincare Ingredients – UV Protection

There are generally two types of ingredients that are usually found in sunscreen that protect against UV rays: physical (or mineral) ingredients and chemical ingredients. While physical ingredients block, reflect and/or scatter the sun’s rays, chemical ingredients absorb them and transform them into heat. Common Physical Ingredients: Titanium dioxide: Great for sensitive skin, it protectsContinue reading “Skincare Ingredients – UV Protection”

Skincare Ingredients – Emollients

When your skin is dry and/or cracking, there are open spaces between your skin cells. Emollients (as an ingredient) help fill those gaps, giving you softer and more even skin, while also sealing watering within the skins barrier. It’s great for most skin types, the only exception being overly oily skin, given that most emollientsContinue reading “Skincare Ingredients – Emollients”

Skincare Ingredients – Antioxidants

Our bodies purposefully create free-radicals to help protect us from viruses and bacteria. Specifically, these are highly unstable and and reactive molecules with at least one missing electron. In order to stabilize, they attack stable molecules (trying to steal their electrons), which is great when they’re attacking things we don’t want. But this stealing ofContinue reading “Skincare Ingredients – Antioxidants”

Skincare Ingredients – Other Exfoliants

Our skin is constantly sloughing off dead cells, but dry and/or ageing skin can have a harder time shedding these cells, leaving skin that looks rough and pasty. These dead cells can also clog pores, leading to adult acne. Exfoliating helps to remove these dead cells, uncovering “fresher” skin. There are two types of exfoliants:Continue reading “Skincare Ingredients – Other Exfoliants”

Skincare Ingredients – Not Yet Classified/Other

As my education continues, I hope I’ll be able to better categorize these, but until then, this will have to do: Benzoyle Peroxide: A great acne fighting ingredient, benzoyle peroxide inhibits the growth of p. acnes, a bacteria that can cause acne. It also reduces excess oil as well as dead skin which can clogContinue reading “Skincare Ingredients – Not Yet Classified/Other”

Skincare Ingredients – Humectants

I know I’m ahead of schedule, but I was just too excited. Time to start looking more into the primary ingredients in the skincare world. First and foremost, I wanted to start with ingredients focused on moisturizing your skin, but I’m now updating this post because as I went through things, I realized there areContinue reading “Skincare Ingredients – Humectants”