How to figure out Skin Care Labels?

Understanding the ingredients in the products we apply to our face and body is important for both general knowledge and to avoid substances that may cause skin reactions (such as allergies).

When we look at the list of ingredients in products, we often encounter a long list. I wanted to make things a bit easier for you.

1. Check the order of the ingredients:

Ingredients are listed in order from highest to lowest quantity. In lotions, creams, or gels, water may appear first, indicating it is present in the highest amount. Generally, we can divide ingredient lists into three parts:

• The first part at the beginning of the list makes up 90-95% of the product.
• The second part constitutes 5-8% of the product.
• The last part makes up 1-3% of the product.

The first three ingredients on the list play a role in moisturizing. For example, in products prepared for dry skin, these three ingredients might be from the oil group. Oil group substances include mineral oil, petrolatum (petroleum-derived substances like Vaseline), shea butter, cocoa butter, or other vegetable oils.

For example, let’s look at Fresh’s Crème Ancienne cream. The first three ingredients are Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Rose Water, and Beeswax. These are ideal softening agents for dry skin.

Ingredients: Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Pentylene Glycol, Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Ormenis Multicaulis Flower Wax, Sodium Carbonate Decahydrate, Limonene, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Citral.

If you have oily skin, avoid products where the first ingredients are oils. Instead, look for moisturizing agents like glycerin, sodium PCA, hyaluronic acid, or sodium hyaluronate.

Most ingredients at the end of the list may make up as little as 0.0001% of the product’s total formula. For example, if honey is listed at the very end of a shampoo’s ingredient list, consider whether its presence is meaningful to you.

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2. Anti-aging ingredients can have many different names.

Many substances fall under the anti-aging category. Antioxidants are added to formulas to fight free radicals and oxidative stress, which cause skin aging.

Commonly used antioxidants in products are vitamins E and C. Vitamin C may be listed as ascorbic acid or L-ascorbic acid in ingredient lists.

Another well-known antioxidant is vitamin A, which can also appear as retinol, retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate, or beta carotene in ingredient lists. Because antioxidants are effective in small amounts, they are often found at the end of the ingredient list.

3. Don’t be alarmed if you see ingredient names you don’t understand.

Ingredients in products serve various functions. One of these functions is as preservatives to prevent the product from spoiling. Emulsifiers with long names starting with PEG or poly prevent the water and oil phases from separating. You can look up unfamiliar chemicals online to find out what they are.

4. Do you have sensitive skin?

If you have sensitive skin, pay attention to the terms on the label.

Products marked “Unscented” may still contain fragrance elements in trace amounts.

Products labeled “Fragrance-free” do not contain synthetic fragrance oils.

“Hypoallergenic” products have been tested for allergens and do not contain known allergens.

Read the ingredients, ask questions, and research online. There is no end to learning. After all, taking care of the skin that protects us is our natural right.

Thank you.

:)

© 2013, Dr. Ebru Karpuzoglu – ChicScience Note: This writing is not intended to replace prescription, medical, or therapeutic medical advice. For health-related matters, please consult professional healthcare personnel.