Dr. Levy SwitzerlandCell Matrix MaskIngredients

Dimethicone is the most popular silicone. It makes the skin softer and forms a film adding smooth and silky feeling. This film not only improves how the skin feels but also works as a protective barrier. It also improves the visual appearance of your skin by filling small wrinkles. That's why some people think dimethicone removes wrinkles. Actually, it does not. It's just a visual effect.

One of the most important characteristics of this component is that it helps to spread other ingredients evenly on the surface to provide good coverage. It's very important because you want all your skin cells to receive an equal proportion of the components.

Dimethicone is considered as safe, but remember that it is rather difficult to wash off! This may lead to clogged pores and acne if you use it too often and don't wash off quite well.

Sodium Hyaluronate is an amazing component! It plays very important role in skin hydration process. It helps to maintain water balance and lower water loss. Scientists have found a direct dependence between the level of Sodium Hyaluronate in cells and skin aging. That's why this component is so much important. It must be in your routine if you want to have a healthy and fresh looking skin.

Some people think that Sodium Hyaluronate and Hyaluronic acid are different names of the same component, but it is not entirely correct. Hyaluronic acid is a different chemical but with similar effects. Actually, Sodium Hyaluronate is used in cosmetics much more often because it’s more stable and has much better resistance to oxidation.

Vitamin C is known for its strong antioxidant activity. It helps to slow down aging processes. The other positive effect of this ingredient is that it helps to make skin tone even. It's a great ingredient to counter dark areas and uneven skin tone. It's well-researched and considered safe. But it's acid and can irritate the skin if used too often.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a form of Vitamine E. It’s used as an alternative to Tocopherol because it is more stable in the formulation. It has all the positive effects of Tocopherol plus better stability. It’s a brilliant component. It conditions and nourishes the skin helping it to resist aging. It also helps to protect the skin from the sun. High concentrations of Tocopheryl Acetate can lead to irritation and allergic reactions.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient that also hydrates the skin without leaving a fatty film. When applied, the component feels smooth and light. In haircare products, it’s also used for hydrating purposes. It makes hair silky, lowers tangling, and makes hair smooth.

It’s safe for most people, except for people with allergic reactions to coconut or palm oil because these oils are usually used for producing the component.

Tocopherol is one of the most popular active ingredients in cosmetics. It’s a brilliant component. It's a form of Vitamin E and it does help the skin and hair a lot. It conditions the skin, strengthens its barrier, protects it against harm, and makes the tone even. It also helps your skin and hair to resist the sun. It’s safe but can irritate sensitive skin sometimes. Pay attention to concentration!

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil helps ingredients to mix better. It has nice cleansing activity helping to remove sebum and dirt from the surface of your skin. It's also responsible for making soft foam in soaps, shower gels, etc. Despite it having "PEG" in the title, it's considered to be safe.

Ascorbyl Palmitate is a derivative of ascorbic and palmitic acids. It's a fat-soluble form of Vitamin C. It penetrates into the skin through cell membranes. Acts as an antioxidant. Due to its antioxidant properties, it is considered a rejuvenating vitamin. Controls the production of collagen in cells. Non-irritant at neutral pH.

Citric Acid is one of the AHAs and it is a super useful component! It’s a great antioxidant. It acts as a soft peeling that removes dead cells and kills bacteria. It becomes even more effective if used with other cosmetic acids. Combined formulations are more active, but can irritate sensitive skin if used too often. The component can also whiten the skin and remove dark areas.

It can be an irritator due to its naturally lower pH level of 2.2. But manufacturers also use it as a pH adjuster so in most cases you will not have any issues.

Squalane is a more stable equivalent of Squalene. It is a very important component of our skin. It’s a major part of natural sebum that forms a protection barrier on the skin's surface. If the barrier isn’t strong enough, your skin will become more sensitive. Squalane helps to keep skin hydrated, protects it from the negative impact of the environment, lowers irritation, stimulates regeneration, and removes dryness. It is accepted by our skin very well and will not cause allergic reactions.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most popular preservatives. It kills bacteria and makes the product live longer. Manufacturers like this ingredient because it can dissolve in any liquid, even in oils.

Another purpose of this component is the fixation of aromas in perfumery. Phenoxyethanol is also used as a strong antiseptic and a good antibacterial agent. It is widely used in dermatological cosmetics alongside natural antiseptics such as chamomile, sage, and calendula.

Ethylhexylglycerin makes the skin softer, smoother and more hydrated. It acts deeply but without any heavy or sticky feeling. In haircare products, it works as a conditioner and scalp cleanser. It is safe but only in concentration below 8% in rinse-off products and below 2% in leave-on products. Can be an irritator in higher concentrations. In general, this component is great if you see it somewhere at the bottom of the list.

Polysorbate-60 is an emulsifier, foam stabilizer, and surfactant. It’s considered to be safe but if the product contains PEG ingredients, Polysorbate may produce 1,4-Dioxane which can be harmful to your health.

Chlorphenesin is a popular preservative. It doesn’t provide any skin-related positive effects and is used to prevent bacterial growth inside a product. It’s a weak preservative but works much better with silicones.

Allowed concentration: no more than 0,3% for European Union countries.

Disodium EDTA is an emulsion stabilizer and chelating agent. It deactivates the metal ions preventing them from reacting with other active ingredients. It improves the stability of a cosmetic formula and keeps the product’s consistency, texture, and pH unchanged. It doesn’t have any skincare effects and is used for formulation purposes only.

Fragrance is a mix of chemical ingredients (usually 20-30 chemicals but up to 200 sometimes) that help the product to smell better. It can hide many bad things. Synthetic fragrances may contain many different chemicals, but manufacturers don’t want to reveal each of them for some reason and hide them behind the word "Fragrance".

Sodium Hydroxide is used mostly for formulation purposes. It helps to hold the pH level of a product. It also works as a chemical exfoliator that removes dead cells. Usually concentration of this component is low in skin care products and it’s used mostly for adjusting pH.