We do a Best of INCIDecoder email once a month with the most interesting products and ingredients we bump into. One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). It is usually used as a helper ingredient to adjust the pH of the formula. Its pH dependent and works best at acidic pH levels (3-5). Other tasks include helping the product to absorb faster and deeper into the skin (penetration enhancer), making the product spread nicely over the skin (slip agent), and attracting water (humectant) into the skin. Its a solid white stuff thats very alkaline and used in small amounts to adjust the pH of the product and make it just right. The most researched and well-known AHA exfoliant. It's a common little helper ingredient that helps water and oil to mix together. There is also research showing that panthenol can help our skin to produce more lovely lipids that are important for a strong and healthy skin barrier. Great natural moisturizer and skin-identical ingredient that plays an important role in skin hydration and general skin health. But according to a comparative study done in 1995, citric acid has less skin improving magic properties than glycolic or lactic acid. A real oldie but a goodie. Normal (well kind of - it's purified and deionized) water. BGs main job is usually to be a solvent for the other ingredients. As you might guess from the pro part, its a precursor to vitamin B5 (whose fancy name is pantothenic acid). Sodium hydroxide in itselfis a potent skin irritant, but once it's reacted (as it is usually in skin care products, like exfoliants) it is totallyharmless. Probably thats why citric acid is usually not used as an exfoliant but more as a helper ingredient in small amounts to adjust the pH of a formulation. A study shows that it can reduce the irritation caused by less-nice other ingredients (e.g. Usually the main solvent in cosmetic products. :) You are almost done: please check your mailbox to confirm your email! It was already used by ancient Egyptians to help oil and fat magically turn into something else. So citric acid is an exfoliant, that can - just like other AHAs - gently lift off the dead skin cells of your skin and make it more smooth and fresh. is drying. It gently lifts off dead skin cells to reveal newer, fresher, smoother skin. BG is approved by Ecocert and is also used enthusiastically in natural products. fragrance, preservatives or chemical sunscreens) in the product. BTW, lye is not something new. The most common skincare ingredient of all.

It still often shows up in the ingredient list of soaps and other cleansers. A study shows that a nail treatment liquide with 2% panthenol could effectively get into the nail and significantly increase the hydration of it. In larger concentration (>10%) it's a proven collagen booster. Neutrogena Skin Perfecting Oily Skin Liquid Facial Exfoliant. An often used glycol that works as a solvent, humectant, penetration enhancer and also gives a good slip to the products. Can you guess what? You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning its the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product.

Leave-on liquid face exfoliator decongests down to the pores to reveal fresh, soft skin and a clarified looking complexion for a fresh glow every day. If that wasnt enough panthenol is also useful in nail and hair care products. Please try again later! The unfancy name for it is lye. As for the hair the hydration effect is also true there. For example, in case of AHA or BHA exfoliants, the right pH is super-duper important, and pH adjusters like sodium hydroxide are needed. A preservative that works mainly against fungi. It is typically used in tiny amounts, around 0.1% or less. It does so by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes. If these magic three letters dont tell you anything, click here and read our detailed description on glycolic acid, the most famous AHA. BTW, its also a food additive. Its not strong enough to be used in itself so its always combined with something else, often with potassium sorbate. There is also some research showing that citric acid with regular use (think three monthsand 20% concentration) can help sun-damaged skin, increase skin thickness and some nice hydrating things called glycosaminoglycans in the skin. Panthenol might make your hair softer, more elastic and helps to comb your hair more easily.

An easy-to-formulate, commonly used, nice to have ingredient thats also called pro-vitamin B5. We don't have description for this ingredient yet. Thanks. Its mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water. An AHA that comes from citrus fruits. It works mainly against fungi. Yes, its soap. Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) Pro-Vitamin B5 is a goodie that moisturises the skin, has anti-inflammatory, skin protecting and wound healing properties. Butylene glycol, or lets just call it BG, is a multi-tasking colorless, syrupy liquid. Its an ingredient whose safety hasnt been questioned so far by anyone (at least not that we know about). Lye - A solid white stuff thats very alkaline and used in small amount to adjust the pH of the product. Skin Perfecting Oily Skin Liquid Facial Exfoliant. An error has occurred. Good old water, aka H2O. Citric acid comes from citrus fruits and is an AHA. Another great thing about panthenol is that it has anti-inflammatory and skin protecting abilities. Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Read all the geeky details about Glycerin here >>, Read all the geeky details about Glycolic Acid here >>, A natural moisturizer thats also in our skin, A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years, Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier, Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits at higher concentrations up to 20-40% (around 10% is a good usability-effectiveness sweet spot), High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin, Its the most researched AHA with the most proven skin benefits, It gently lifts off dead skin cells to reveal newer, fresher, smoother skin, It can help skins own collagen production that results in firmer, younger skin, It can fade brown spots caused by sun damage or PIH, Choose a product where you know the concentration and pH value because these two greatly influence effectiveness, Dont forget to use your sunscreen (in any case but especially so next to an AHA product), Slight stinging or burning with a stronger AHA product is normal, If your skin is very sensitive, rosacea prone choose rather a BHA or PHA product. Also, it can help to increase the solubility of some other ingredients in the formula. Its a great pick for creating a nice feeling product. Its a humectant meaning that it can help the skin to attract water and then hold onto it. Research also shows that it might be useful for wound healing as it promotes fibroblast (nice type of cells in our skin that produce skin-firming collagen) proliferation. Has to be combined with other preservatives. Its main job in skincare products is to moisturise the skin. Like this, the products can stay more stable over time. Super common little helper ingredient thathelps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time. A helper ingredient that helps to makethe products stay nice longer, aka preservative.