Editor/Typesetting: Fanny Editor-in-Charge: Jeing Review: Li Yun
Daily skin care everyone attaches great importance to, so as the core of skin care products - skin care product ingredients, how much do you know? How can you understand the dense and complex ingredient list and choose the right products for yourself more accurately and effectively?
This article is mainly divided into four parts: common ingredients in skin care products and their effects - where to check the ingredients of skin care products - what mysteries are hidden in the order of the ingredient list - special ingredients that make people "talk about discoloration".
The four steps teach you to understand the ingredient list of skin care products, and you are no longer confused about buying products.
<h1 style="text-align: left;"> common ingredients in skincare products and their efficacy </h1>
Moisturizing class
● Moisturizer
There are mainly glycerin, hyaluronic acid (hyaluronic acid), sodium hyaluronate, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, panthenol (vitamin B5) and so on. The principle is to absorb moisture from the dermis or surroundings into the stratum corneum.
Glycerin and butylene glycol, in particular, are among the most common moisturizers in skin care products, with strong moisturizing properties and very cheap.
● Softener
The main ingredients are jojoba oil, squalane, dimethicone and so on. It can fill the gaps in the skin's keratinocyte debris, making the skin surface smooth and soft.
Among them, squalane is very close to human sebum, low irritation, and not easy to sensitize. It has a good affinity with the skin in skin care products, has good skin permeability, and will not feel superficial after use, nor will it be too greasy.
● Blocking agent
There are mainly petrolatum (petrolatum), lanolin, cetyl alcohol, mineral oil (liquid paraffin), siloxane derivatives and so on. By forming a hydrophobic film between the surface of the skin and the surface of the stratum corneum cells to prevent or delay the loss of moisture, most of them are usually thick and greasy, which is very suitable for dry skin star people.
Anti-inflammatory repair class
● Anti-inflammatory soothing
For example, allantoin, urea, and various plant extracts (centella asiaticarin, portulaca oleracea, bisabolol, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate). It mainly plays anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, soothing and sensitive effects.
● Repair the skin barrier
Ceramides and cholesterol, these two are well-deserved "repair masters".
The role of this type of skin care product is to supplement the "cement" between the sebaceous membrane and the keratinocytes on the surface of the skin through these ingredients, thereby reinforcing the "brick wall structure" of the skin surface, often designed for sensitive skin such as eczema and rosacea.
Whitening class
There are so many whitening contestants! The most common are niacinamide, arbutin, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), 377 (phenylethyl resorcinol), transbatical acid (tranexamic acid), glutathione, kojic acid and so on.
Details can be found:
In addition to whitening, niacinamide will also grow hair? Tell you the secret of niacinamide that you don't know
2 whitening killers, one of which will rot if you don't use it well! Teach you to choose whitening ingredients scientifically
One of the most effective whitening ingredients that you don't know yet?
Whitening + anti-aging, another treasure ingredient? This method is effective in whitening and anti-aging
Antioxidant and anti-aging class
● Antioxidant
Vitamin C and vitamin E (tocopherol) can neutralize oxygen free radicals, promote collagen synthesis, and achieve the effect of fading fine lines and brightening skin tone.
● Anti-aging
Retinol (vitamin A alcohol) is known as "skin care anti-aging pioneer", "anti-aging handle", has the effect of improving skin thickness and promoting collagen production, which can reduce the degree of wrinkles to a certain extent, is a good hand to fight skin photoaging.
As a derivative of tretinoin, retinol is relatively safe, milder and can be used for a long time, but it still has a certain irritation, and it needs to be gradually established when used, and it is more necessary to pay attention to sun protection during the day. However, excessive use has a teratogenic effect on the fetus, so pregnant women should use it with caution.
Specific can poke - anti-aging shoulder handle retinol, exhausted eighteen beautiful as flowers?
Acne removal
Look for these three acids: azelaic acid, salicylic acid, and fruit acid. They have a wide range of effects, not only can remove acne, but also have the effect of peeling off keratin and lightening pigmentation.
The concentration of these acid skin care products that are bought daily is much lower than that of hospital brush acid, and the effect is weak, but the advantage is that it is less irritating, safer, and the price is more friendly.
For more on these three acids, check out the following three articles:
Azelaic acid, what do you take and acne bucket?
This ingredient that can be added to the shampoo can actually solve the mask stuffiness?
No way! Shouting every day to brush acid but not even knowing this?
Xiaohua also intimately sorted out the above into the following chart, which you can save and view at any time.
<h1> Where to find skincare ingredients </h1>
Skincare packaging
In general, regular skin care products will directly indicate the ingredients on the back or outer packaging of the product.
Official website of the country
If some product packaging is not written completely and clearly, or if you want to further verify the product ingredients, you can check the official website of the State Drug Administration, not only to find the product ingredients, but also to find its production approval number, whether it is filed, counterfeit cosmetics notice, etc., to reduce risks.
Website: https://www.nmpa.gov.cn/
Transparent labels and other APPS or mini programs
In addition, before purchasing a product, you can also check the product ingredients and filing information on the APP or Mini Program such as the transparent label to see if it is safe and effective enough, and whether there are ingredients that are not suitable for themselves (such as some ingredients that pregnant women use cautiously).
<h1>The ordering of the ingredient list is mysterious </h1>
Product composition ratio
In general, the higher an ingredient is ranked in the ingredient list, the higher its content. For example, in many skin care products, water ranks first or in the first few.
However, ingredients with a content of less than 1%, such as preservatives, flavors, thickeners (xanthan gum, carbomer, etc.), can generally be arranged at will after the last ingredient with a content of ≥1%.
Determine the type of skincare product
For example, how to judge whether the real "amino acid cleanser" in your hand is through the ranking of the ingredient list?
There are many kinds of amino acid surfactants, commonly used in facial cleansers are potassium cocoylglycine, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, myristyl glutamate sodium and so on. These tables are at the top of the ingredient list to be considered a true amino acid cleanser.
And some facial cleansers under the banner of amino acid cleanser, the result of the amino acid table is very far behind the composition list, or simply not, then it can not be regarded as amino acid cleanser.
For information on how to distinguish and select various common facial cleansers on the market through ingredients, you can refer to the chart below.
<h1>These special ingredients do not need to be too discolored</h1>
alcohol
Alcohol (ethanol) mainly plays a role in dissolving, promoting seepage, antibacterial, astringent and cooling in skin care products.
High concentrations of alcohol may indeed damage the stratum corneum, easily cause allergies or irritation, etc., so many people will fall into the misunderstanding that skin care products containing alcohol "will hurt the skin, sensitive skin is completely unusable."
In fact, most regular skin care products add very little alcohol (probably only 1%-2%), and the impact on the skin is minimal. The key is to look at the alcohol content and the actual situation after use, even alcohol-free products may cause skin intolerance.
essence
Some flavor ingredients may indeed be easy to cause irritation, such as cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamaldehyde, hydroxycitronell, geraniol, eugenol, isoeugenol, oak moss extract, etc., sensitive skin, pregnant women, children try to avoid use.
However, fragrances play a key role in enhancing the product experience and stimulating the desire to use. Choosing regular large brand products is generally relatively safe.
preservative
Potassium sorbate, benzyl alcohol, sodium benzoate ... These are terms that people can't understand or even a little scary, but they are indispensable in skin care products.
Preservatives protect products from microbial contamination, extend product life, ensure safety, and prevent possible infections caused by consumers using microbially contaminated products.
Normal people use is no big problem, but like phenoxyethanol, formaldehyde releasers, isothiazolinone and other preservatives, may easily cause skin irritation, sensitive skin and other problems of the skin need to pay attention to.
Whether the above ingredients cause irritation should be judged according to the length of time they stay on the surface of the skin, the dose added, and the personal skin condition. If it is a sensitive skin, a new product can be tried in a small area without discomfort, and then used in a large area, there is no need to give up a product as soon as you see an ingredient.
"Acne-causing ingredients"
When some small partners inquire about the ingredients of skin care products on some platforms, they see that some ingredients are marked: there is a risk of acne, so they dare not use this product, in fact, they do not have to duck.
● For reference only
There is no need to run as soon as you see the acne-causing ingredients, because the final product of the reaction between the ingredients and the ingredients is not necessarily pox-causing, and can only be used as a reference.
● Individual differences
There is no need to pull the grass as soon as you see someone say that they will have a sullen acne, after all, people who use it without acne will not roar so fiercely on the Internet!
● The truth about "pox"
First, even non-comedogenic skincare products are likely to worsen acne; conversely, even skincare products that contain comedogenic ingredients do not necessarily induce acne. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not only discuss ingredients, feel comfortable after using skin care products, and can achieve basic effects.
In addition, acne is a skin disease caused by a variety of factors, and it is also closely related to heredity, age, hormones, staying up late, diet, etc., and it is not necessarily the pot of skin care products.
And if there is a "backlight rash" (backlit rash) after using a certain skin care product in a short period of time (a small particle rash seen in the backlight, not red, not painful or itchy), that is, irritating contact dermatitis around the hair follicle (caused by stimulation of some ingredients of the skin care product), it can be relieved after generally stopping the suspicious skin care product, and no special treatment is required.
〔Disclaimer〕
The data in this article was updated on January 11, 2021
Originally created by Professor Yang Xichuan of the Department of Dermatology, it aims to popularize science for readers
Popular science content can not replace the doctor's diagnosis and treatment opinions, for reference only
If you have skin problems, please consult your doctor in time
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