Ingredients explained
skincare,beauty
modern woman
By Beauty Editor Katie CorcoranWe\'ve all picked up a pot of cream at one time or another only to scan the ingredients and wonder what it all means; what is folic acid, why would I need antioxidants and what on earth is retinol?
So with all these hi-tech words and ingredients flying around we\'ve decided to go undercover to discover just what they mean and just what they do. Read on to get in the beauty know.
Glycerine
skincare,beauty,Neutrogena
Neutrogena Multi-repair Cream
What is it?Used mainly in products for dry skin, Dr Sue Mayou, consult dermatologist and advisor to Neutrogena® says, "Glycerine is used in products for dry skin because it has excellent humectant properties. This means that after it is applied to the skin it draws water from the deeper layers of the skin to the top layer, which results in skin hydration. Glycerine is so effective because it helps protect the skin\'s moisture barrier and keep skin well moisturised."
Where can I find it?
Glycerine is found in the highly moisturising new Neutrogena Multi-repair Cream £3.99, Boots nationwide
Ceramide
skincare,beauty
Omorovicza Instant Plumping Cream
What is it?Ceramides are a type if skin lipid that sit in the very top layer of the skin and work to keep essential oils and moisture locked in. Stephen de Heinrich, co-founder of Omorovicza says, "We use omega-6 ceramides in some of our richest, most hydrating products including the Instant Plumping Cream. Ceramides are essential skin lipids maintaining both the structure and strength of the lipid matrix and preventing moisture loss in the skin."
Where can I find it?Omorovicza Instant Plumping Cream £85, Liberty 0207 734 1234
Folic acid
skincare,beauty,Nivea
Nivea Visage DNAge cell Renewal day cream
What is it?Folic acid is a vitamin that helps to support healthy skin cell development.
Dr Maria Langhals, product development for Nivea Visage says, "Folic acid plays a central role in cell metabolism. Tests with individual skin cells showed that folic acid indeed has the property to rejuvenate skin cells from the inside.\'
Where can I find it?
Nivea Visage DNAge cell Renewal day cream, £16.09, Boots nationwide.
Squalene
skincare,beauty,moisturiser
Face It Daily Defender Day Cream
What is it?Allison Gallo, founder and developer of Face It skincare says, \'\'Squalene is an organic, oil-free moisturiser that occurs naturally in the body. The version of squalene used in the Face It day cream is derived from olives and is an excellent non-greasy moisturiser that instantly softens the skin and helps prevent cell damage. It is a non-irritating and non-comedogenic moisturiser for use on sensitive and blemish-prone skin.\'\'
Where can I find it?
Face It Daily Defender Day Cream £30, faceitnyc.com
Retinol
skincare,beauty,No.7
Boots No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum
What is retinol?Retinol is great for more mature skins that are not overly sensitive. Stewart Long, Boots Skincare scientific advisor says, "Boots does not use retinol in any products. We use the kinder to skin version, retinyl palmitate. Both retinol and retinyl palmitate are versions of vitamin A (retinoic acid). Vitamin A is a drug and cannot be used but retinol and retinyl palmitate are very safe effective ingredients, widely used. Sometimes the problem with retinol is that it can be irritating and not suitable for people with sensitive skin.
The benefit of all vitamin A derivatives is that they encourage better cell turnover in the upper layers, normalising skin turnover. They have limited value in products for young skin because the skin has plenty of retinoic acid in it."
Where can I find it?
Boots No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum contains retinyl palmitate, £16.75, Boots nationwide
Hexapeptide
skincare,beauty,rodial
Rodial Glamotox
What is it?This is one of the most popular components of many of today\'s leading anti-ageing products. Maria Hatzistefanis, owner and founder of skin care brand Rodial, says, "Hexapeptide acts as an alternative to a freezing injection so helps with the anti-ageing process. They also work to relax muscles and reduce stress in the skin, helping it look more plump and youthful. I find most importantly that they help to visibly smooth expression lines and wrinkles.\'
Where can I find it?
Rodial Glamotox, £95.90 lookfantastic.com
Hyaluronic acid
skincare,beauty,anti ageing
RoC Retin-Ox
What is it?Hyaluronic acid is used in hundreds of anti-ageing products due to its fast working moisturising properties. Leading dermatologist Dr Susan Mayou comments, "I recommend my patients invest in a good anti-ageing moisturiser and tell them to look at the ingredient list as well as the price tag, to discover if it\'s worth the investment. We all like to see instant results too and Hyaluronic acid, a moisturiser also found naturally in skin achieves this."
Where can I find it?
The popular RoC Retin-OxTM Wrinkle Filler contains hyaluronic acid and retinol, and is a firm favourite among women today (one is sold every minute!) nationwide.
Peptides
skincare,beauty,moisturiser
Crystal Clear Illuminate and Vichy\'s new LiftActiv CxP day cream
What is it?Peptides seem to be everywhere these days and are a buzzword in their own right thanks to their effective results. Stewart Long, Boots Skincare Scientific Advisor says, "Peptides are widely talked about in skincare and yet there is little consistent written about how they work or how effective they are. The science of peptides in skincare came from the discovery that when the major protein of the deeper layers of the skin, collagen, is damaged by sunlight, it is broken up into peptides. The interesting finding was that certain of the peptides that were formed were able to act as a signal to skin cells to make new collagen. Thus the skin responds to being damaged and makes new collagen. This meant that we could improve wrinkled skin by fooling the skin into thinking it had been damaged by applying this peptide.
Skincare is now in love with peptides because they offer a way of allowing the skin to repair itself in a natural way and peptides can potentially be found that trigger specific things in the skin, so that they might improve wrinkles, or firmness, or age spots etc."
Where can I find it?
Both Crystal Clear Illuminate, £60 crystalclear.co.uk, and Vichy\'s new LiftActiv CxP day cream, £24.50 0800 169 6193, vichyconsult.co.uk, contain peptides.
SPF
skincare,beauty,Clinique,sun care
Clinique\'s newly formulated and repackaged sun care range
What is SPF?SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and we all relate it to healthy sun tanning. Debbie D\'Aquino, vice president of Clinique Product Development For Treatment Worldwide says, "Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is an industry standard and is measured in a laboratory with a solar simulator that induces UV erythema (sunburn). SPF is designed to protect against the damage caused by harmful UV rays from the sun. During the past two decades it has become increasingly evident that exposure to ultraviolet radiation, both UVB and UVA, is extremely harmful. When these sun rays hit the skin, some are scattered, some are reflected but many are absorbed. Since sun exposure leads not only to premature ageing but also to possible health concerns, preventing against sun damage through a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB formula is critical."
Where can I find it?
We love Clinique\'s newly formulated and repackaged sun care range. Prices start from £13.21, Clinique counters nationwide from May.
Antioxidants
skincare,beauty,Dermalogica
Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist
What are they?Found not only in beauty products but also in a whole heap of food, antioxidants help to protect your skin. Victoria Smith from the International Dermal Institute says, "Antioxidants are ingredients that combat reactive oxygen species or ‘free radicals\'. In the skin, free radicals attack cells such as skin cells and collagen. This attack of the skin\'s vital structures causes damage, possible mutations, cell death and inflammation. As a result we see lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, sensitivity and even skin cancers.
Vitamins are powerful antioxidants so look for topical products containing vitamins A, C and E along with ingredients such as white tea, genestein (an active soy isoflavanoid) and soya protein."
Where can I find it?Apart from Victoria\'s food suggestions above you can find it in the refreshing Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist, £26.70, 0800 591818
Vitamin C and vitamin C complex
skincare,beauty,ole henriksen
OLE Henriksen truth serum
What is it?Famed for being linked to vitamin pills and oranges, it\'s now often found in a whole heap of beauty products too. Stewart Long, Boots Skincare scientific advisor says "Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is found naturally in the skin. It works together with other antioxidants to prevent damage from free radicals. These are very reactive molecules that are created in the skin by UV light or are present in pollution (car exhaust, cigarette smoke). Antioxidants such as vitamin C help reinforce the skin\'s own defences, preventing the long term damage that free radicals cause."
Where can I find it?
OLE Henriksen truth serum is packed with a vitamin C complex and helps to calming, heal and strengthen the skin, £45 Harvey Nichols.
Lanolin
skincare,beauty,kiehls
Kiehl\'s Lip Balm
What is it?Many people are not sure exactly what lanolin is and many of use don\'t like it in our products due to its connection to animals, although its protective properties are well sought after. Angela Chalmers, Boots\' pharmacist says, "Lanolin is a greasy yellow substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool bearing animals such as sheep. Medical grade lanolin is used as a cream to soothe skin, as it is hypoallergenic and bacteriostatic. Lanolin softens the skin and creates an effective barrier to maintain skin moisture. This grade of lanolin is used to treat acute dry skin, cracked heels, scar tissue, eczema, nappy rash, itchy skin, rough feet and cuts."
Where can I find it?
It\'s in many products but can often be found in rich jelly textured like lip balms such as the Kiehl\'s Lip Balm #1, £8.22, 0207 240 2411
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