The world of skincare can be overwhelming, with a plethora of products promising miraculous results. Understanding the ingredients in these products is crucial to making informed decisions and achieving your desired skin health goals. This article delves into the components commonly found in hydrating facial serums, exploring their properties, benefits, and potential drawbacks.
The Foundation: Water (Aqua)
Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. Often listed as "Aqua" on the ingredient list, water serves as the primary solvent in most cosmetic formulations. It dissolves other ingredients, allowing them to be effectively delivered to the skin. The water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized, meaning that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed.
Humectants: Hydration Heroes
Humectants are ingredients that attract and retain moisture from the environment and the deeper layers of the skin. This helps to keep the skin hydrated, plump, and supple.
Glycerin
It's a nice glycerin-based humectant and emollient that gives skin a smooth and luxurious feel. Glycerin is a widely used humectant in skincare products. It is a natural compound that attracts moisture to the skin, helping to keep it hydrated and prevent dryness.
Propanediol
Propanediol is a natural alternative for the often used and often bad-mouthed propylene glycol. Works best between a concentration of 5-20% This ingredient functions as a humectant, emollient, and solvent.
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Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5)
An easy-to-formulate, commonly used, nice to have ingredient that’s also called pro-vitamin B5. Another great thing about panthenol is that it has anti-inflammatory and skin protecting abilities. A study shows that it can reduce the irritation caused by less-nice other ingredients (e.g. If that wasn’t enough panthenol is also useful in nail and hair care products. As for the hair the hydration effect is also true there. Panthenol, also known as pro-vitamin B5, is a popular ingredient in skincare due to its moisturizing and soothing properties. It's a humectant meaning that it can help the skin to attract water and then hold onto it. It helps to hydrate the skin, reduce inflammation, and promote wound healing.
Sodium Hyaluronate
It’s the - sodium form - cousin of the famous NMF, hyaluronic acid (HA). If HA does not tell you anything we have a super detailed, geeky explanation about it here. As far as skincare goes, sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid are pretty much the same and the two names are used interchangeably. In spite of this, if you search for "hyaluronic acid vs sodium hyaluronate" you will find on multiple places that sodium hyaluronate is smaller and can penetrate the skin better. Chemically, this is definitely not true, as the two forms are almost the same, both are polymers and the subunits can be repeated in both forms as much as you like. A real oldie but a goodie. It's the salt form of famous humectant and natural moisturizing factor, hyaluronic acid. Sodium hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring substance in the skin that helps to retain moisture. The TL; DR version of HA is that it's a huge polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) found in the skin that acts as a sponge helping the skin to hold onto water, being plump and elastic. It is a powerful humectant, drawing moisture from the environment to hydrate the skin and keep it plump and supple.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is one of today’s magic plants. What research does confirm about Aloe is that it’s a great moisturizer and has several anti-inflammatory (among others contains salicylates, polysaccharides, magnesium lactate and C-glucosyl chromone) as well as some antibacterial components. It also helps wound healing and skin regeneration in general. Aloe vera is a succulent plant known for its soothing and moisturizing properties. It contains polysaccharides that help to hydrate the skin and reduce inflammation. Though famous dermatologist Leslie Baumann warns us in her book that most of the evidence is anecdotal and the plant might be a bit overhyped.
Antioxidants: Protecting Against Environmental Damage
Antioxidants are essential ingredients in skincare products as they protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage skin cells, leading to premature aging, inflammation, and other skin problems.
Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid)
Pure Vitamin C. A skincare superstar that is clinically proven to boost collagen production (in 5-20% concentration), fade hyperpigmentation and boost UV protection under sunscreen. Ya'll, I’ve been on a long long journey to find the perfect Vitamin C serum for my skin, and after testing/experimenting multiple brands over the past 2 years, I thought I’d share my thoughts. For context: I have combination skin (oily T-zone, dry cheeks) and my main concerns are brightening, fading dark spots, and preventing premature aging. I’ve used each serum for at least 3 months to give it a fair shot. Review: This is the holy grail of Vitamin C serums, and I totally get why. It’s packed with 15% L-ascorbic acid, Vitamin E, and ferulic acid. I noticed a visible difference in my skin tone within 2 weeks. If money isn’t an issue, Skinceuticals is the clear winner. But if you’re looking for something more affordable, Maelove is an excellent alternative. For hydration, Paula’s Choice is great, and if you’re on a tight budget, The Ordinary gets the job done (just be prepared for the texture). Worth it if you can afford it. L-Ascorbic Acid is Pure Vitamin C. A form of vitamin E that works as an antioxidant. It is a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radical damage, boosts collagen production, and brightens the complexion.
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Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
Potent Vit. It’s the most commonly used version of pure vitamin E in cosmetics. You can read all about the pure form here. A form of vitamin E that works as an antioxidant. Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant that protects the skin from damage.
Ferulic Acid
Boosts the skin’s own collagen productionFades pigmentation and brown spotsIf used under sunscreen it boosts its UV protectionExtremely unstable and oxidizes very easily in presence of light or airStable in solutions with water only if pH is less than 3.5 or in waterless formulationsVit E + C work in synergy and provide superb photoprotectionFerulic acid doubles the photoprotection effect of Vit C+E and helps to stabilize Vit C Ferulic acid is a plant-derived antioxidant that helps to stabilize vitamin C and E, enhancing their protective effects.
Rose Oil
We are big fans of all kinds of roses as ornamental plants but when it comes to skincare, it is a mixed bag. The oil content in rose is very, very low so distilling rose essential oil requires huge amounts of rose flowers. It has such a wonderful scent that there are no comparable synthetic alternatives. You can probably guess that this means rose essential oil is expensive…. So the good things: thanks to its wonderful scent the high-end perfume industry loves rose oil. Also, we (humans :)) love rose oil. Rose oil contains more than 95 compounds, among them flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C, and quercetin that are all known for their medicinal properties and great antioxidant effects. Now, the not-so-good thing? Rose essential oil - a super expensive oil with a lovely scent. Has also antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Rose oil contains more than 95 compounds, among them flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C, and quercetin that are all known for their medicinal properties and great antioxidant effects. Also, rose water also has a lovely, relaxing scent.
Peptides: Building Blocks for Youthful Skin
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as building blocks for proteins like collagen and elastin. They can stimulate collagen production, improve skin firmness, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
A four amino acid peptide that works by reducing the production of the signal molecule, inteleukin-6 (IL-6) that promotes inflammation in the skin. The pal of Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 in Matrixyl 3000. A four amino acid peptide with the amino sequence of glycine-glutamine-proline-arginine. This peptide is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, helping to soothe and calm the skin.
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Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
A six amino acid peptide that is claimed to improve firmness and skin tone. This peptide is believed to improve skin firmness and tone.
Other Notable Ingredients
Rose Flower Water (Rose Hydrosol)
Also-called: Damask Rose Flower Water, Rose Hydrosol The flower water coming from the flowers of the Damask Rose. In general, flower waters (also called hydrosols) are diluted versions of essential oils coming from the same plant. Similar to its big sister, rose oil, rose water also has a lovely, relaxing scent. Rose flower water is a gentle and hydrating ingredient with a delicate floral scent.
Sodium Hydroxide
An alkaline (high pH, aka basic) material that is used to set the pH of the cosmetic formula to the right value. Sodium hydroxide is used to adjust the pH of the product, ensuring it is suitable for the skin.
Xanthan Gum
It's one of the most commonly used thickeners and emulsion stabilizers. If the product is too runny, a little xanthan gum will make it more gel-like. Used alone, it can make the formula sticky and it is a good team player so it is usually combined with other thickeners and so-called rheology modifiers (helper ingredients that adjust the flow and thus the feel of the formula). Btw, Xanthan gum is all natural, a chain of sugar molecules (polysaccharide) produced from individual sugar molecules (glucose and sucrose) via fermentation. Xanthan gum is a natural thickener and emulsion stabilizer.
Sorbitan Oleate
A mainly oil loving molecule that helps water and oil to mix nicely, aka emulsifier. In itself, it can create water-in-oil emulsions (when water droplets are dispersed in oil), but it is used mostly next to water-loving emulsifiers to create nice and smooth oil-in-water creams. It can also function as a wetting and dispersing agent helping insoluble particles such as color pigments or inorganic sunscreens (zinc/titanium dioxide) to disperse nice and even in liquids. Sorbitan oleate is an emulsifier that helps to blend water and oil-based ingredients.
Citric Acid
Citric acid comes from citrus fruits and is an AHA. But according to a comparative study done in 1995, citric acid has less skin improving magic properties than glycolic or lactic acid. Citric acid, derived from citrus fruits, is an AHA that can gently exfoliate the skin.
Hydroxyethylcellulose
A nice little helper ingredient that can thicken up cosmetic products and create beautiful gel formulas. It's derived from cellulose, the major component of the cell wall of green plants. It is compatible with most co-ingredients and gives a very good slip to the formulas. Hydroxyethylcellulose is a thickening agent that enhances the texture of the product.
Phenoxyethanol
It’s pretty much the current IT-preservative. It’s safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it’s not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben.It’s not something new: it was introduced around 1950 and today it can be used up to 1% worldwide. It can be found in nature - in green tea - but the version used in cosmetics is synthetic. Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. Phenoxyethanol is a common preservative used to prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products.
Ethylhexylglycerin
A helper ingredient that helps to make the products stay nice longer, aka preservative. It works mainly against fungi and has only milder effect against bacteria. It is Ecocert and Cosmos approved, works quite well at low concentrations (0.1-0.6%) and is popular in natural products. Ethylhexylglycerin is a preservative that enhances the effectiveness of other preservatives.
Potassium Sorbate
It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. No matter the origin, in small amounts (up to 1%) it’s a nice, gentle preservative. Has to be combined with some other nice preservatives, like potassium sorbate to be broad spectrum enough. Potassium sorbate is a gentle preservative that protects against fungi and bacteria.
Grapefruit Peel Oil
The essential oil coming from the peel of the pink grapefruit. In general, the main component of citrus peel oils is limonene (around 90% for grapefruit peel), a super common fragrant ingredient that makes everything smell nice (but counts as a frequent skin sensitizer). Other than that, citrus peels contain the problematic compounds called furanocoumarins that make them (mildly) phototoxic. So be careful with grapefruit peel oil, especially if it's in a product for daytime use. Grapefruit peel oil is an essential oil that provides a refreshing scent.