Antioxidants & Vitamins

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances that the body uses to help protect itself against free radicals (oxygen molecules that break down collagen, which causes wrinkles & sagging skin). Free radicals are molecules which lack an electron, and are produced naturally by the body as it burns oxygen. Cigarette smoke, UV radiation, air pollution, stress, certain medications, and poor diet also produce free radicals. These unstable molecules attack healthy cells and steal their electron, in turn creating another free radical. If free radicals multiply faster than the body's natural immunity can fight them off, damage to cells and tissues will result. Evidence has shown free radical damage to be the basis of all skin deterioration, and the primary cause of wrinkles and all other visible signs of aging.

How do antioxidants work?

Antioxidants protect the skin by neutralizing free radical damage. Antioxidants give up their electrons to free radicals, so that the free radical molecules no longer try and "steal" them from our healthy cells. This means that cells suffer less damage, and for skin that means a less aged appearance. Skin will still age naturally over time, but antioxidants help to prevent accelerated aging, particularly from sun damage, smoking and pollution.

Research is now showing that antioxidants applied directly to the skin can help to protect it and slow down skin aging.

What types of antioxidants are used in skincare?

Vitamins A (Retinyl Palmitate), C (Ascorbic Acid) and E (Tocopherol or Tocopheryl Acetate) are the most popular antioxidants in skincare. There are also some natural ingredients which are rich in antioxidants. Some of these include green tea, rose hip oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil and grapeseed extract. Also the minerals selenium and zinc.

Antioxidants are also added to cosmetics to inhibit reactions promoted by oxygen, preventing rancidity & oxidization. Commonly used ingredients for this are: Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and Tocopheryl (Vitamin E).

Alpha Hydroxy Acids

What are AHAs?

AHAs, or alpha-hydroxy acids, are acids that are used as ingredients in skincare, that help to remove dead skin cells from the surface layer of the skin. Some of them (although not all of them) are derived from fruit, so AHAs are sometimes referred to as "fruit acids".

What types of AHAs are there?

• Glycolic acid - from sugar, or unripe grapes.
• Lactic acid - from milk.
• Malic acid - from apples.
• Citric acid - from citrus fruits or pineapples.

Glycolic acid and Lactic acid are probably the best known and most common AHAs.

What do AHAs do, and how do they work?

AHAs exfoliate the skin by "dissolving" the bonds between skin cells, helping your skin to shed its dead cells and revealing the fresh new cells underneath. They do not require any rubbing or abrasion to do this, as compared to facial scrubs which physically "rub" the dead cells away.

• Dryness - Moisturizers do not work very well if the skin is dry because it cannot penetrate the layer of dead cells covering the top layer of skin. This dead layer can appear flaky and rough. AHAs can help to remove these dead cells so that the moisturizer can get to where it is needed, thus reducing the flaky and rough appearance of dry skin.
• Fine lines - AHAs may reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, particularly those resulting from accelerated aging due to the effects of the sun (photoaging). The deeper the wrinkle, the stronger the AHA required to have an effect.

What are Essential Oils?

Essential Oils are used in Aromatherapy products. They are highly volatile plant essences that contain aromatic molecules produced by the plant. Benefits of using essential oils in products include mood regulation, muscular relaxation and therapeutic properties. Essential oils are all-natural derivatives of plants. They are obtained by a process known as steam distillation. They are never applied directly to the skin but used with a carrier oil or incorporated into lotions and gels.

Moisturizers

The purpose of moisturizers is to maintain hydration or rehydrate the skin.

Emollients/Humectants

Emollients prevent water from evaporating from the skin by providing a protective coating. Commonly used emollients include:

• Mineral Oil
• Petrolatum
• Capric/Caprylic/Triglyceraldehydes
• Cholesterol
• Lanolin
• Dimethicone/Cyclomethicone
• Almond oil
• Jojoba oil
• Avocado oil
• Sesame oil
• Sunflower oil
• Coconut oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Cetyl Alchol

• Glycerin (glycerol)
• Propylene Glycol
• Sorbitol
• Hyaluronic acid
• Lecithin
• Urea
• DNA
• Lactic acid
• Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5)
• Pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (NA-PCA)
• Phospholipids
• Collagen
• Elastin
• Ceramide

Liposomes

Liposomes are microscopic spheres that are generally formed from phospholipids. (Phospholipids are replaced by other lipids in niosomes.) They can "trap" a substance within the interior of the sphere and, due to their tiny size, pass through the outer layer of skin. It is thought that liposomes deliver the content of the spheres to the interior of cells by melding with cell membranes. Products designed, sometimes with liposomes, to deliver beneficial, herbal or nutritional elements to the skin are called cosmeceuticals. Liposomes are also used as drug delivery systems for some pharmaceutical preparations.

Preservatives

Preservatives are used to retard microbial (bacteria and fungal) contamination of cosmetics. The high water content of many cosmetics makes them suitable places for microbial growth. Combinations of preservatives are frequently used. Common preservatives include:

Methylparaben
Propylparaben
Butylparaben
Ethylparaben
Quaternium-8, -14 or -15
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Methylisothiazolinone
Diazolidinyl Urea

Emulsifiers

Emulsifiers are included in cosmetics to allow water soluble and oil soluble substances to combine uniformly. Depending on the type of emulsion that is made, the product can feel more oily (ointments) or less oily (creams and lotions). Common emulsifiers include:

Lecithin
Polysorbate
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Carbomer
Cetyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol

Surfactants

Emulsifying agents that allow the dispersion of an insoluble substance within water. Surfactants decrease surface tensions in liquids and therefore allow the formation of soap bubbles and lather. Common cosmetic surfactants are:

Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cocamide DEA
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Lauramide DEA