Water is a great solvent. It’s neutral and doesn’t provide any strong positive or negative effects. It just helps components to mix better and to transport active components.
Glycerin is one of the most outstanding and helpful skincare components. It's used in many skincare products because it works and provides notable results. It's one of the best moisturizers. Molecules of Glycerin can absorb water and deliver it into deep layers of the skin making it hydrated.
1,2-Hexanediol can do a lot of good things for the formulation of the product. It’s an emollient, preservative, and humectant. It keeps skin hydrated and soft. It’s a good component for dry and dehydrated skin.
Betaine is used a lot in “organic” skincare products. It is a good moisturizer that not only hydrates the skin but also strengthens the cell membrane. This helps to lower the water loss over time. It also softens the skin and reduces irritation and redness. It’s often used at a 3-5% concentration depending on the product.
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TaurineAntioxidant
Roles: Buffering, Fragrance
Moisturizing
Soothing
Anti-aging
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Glucosyl Hesperidin
Roles: Skin conditioning, Humectant
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Sodium Hyaluronate
Roles: Skin conditioning, Humectant
Moisturizing
Softening
Anti-aging
Rejuvenation
Good for dry skin
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.
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CaffeineAntioxidant
Roles: Skin conditioning, Fragrance, Masking
UV Protection
Anticellulite
Tones up skin
Hair growth stimulating
Good for dry skin
Caffeine stimulates all the processes inside skin cells. It's very effective for reducing swelling on the face (especially great for under the eyes area). The effectiveness depends on the concentration, the more component you apply the better the effect will be.
It also tones up the skin making it look younger. It's great for dry skin because it stimulates the synthesis of cholesterol, a chemical that helps to form a protective layer on the surface of the epidermis.
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Bisabolol
Roles: Skin conditioning, Fragrance, Masking
Softening
Soothing
Lightening
Healing
Antiseptic
Protection
Bisabolol is one of the most effective healing ingredients in cosmetics. It is a great component for reducing inflammation. It contains a lot of Vitamin B5 known as Panthenol, but it acts much better than Panthenol due to its wider effectiveness. It softens the skin and helps to recover skin cells after dryness. It is also a nice protector – it helps to protect the skin from aggressive chemical and physical impact. Bisabolol, Panthenol, and Allantoin are the true saviors and very often you can find all these 3 components mixed in a product for better efficiency.
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.
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TocopherolAntioxidant
Roles: Skin conditioning, Fragrance
UV Protection
Anti-aging
Regeneration
Comedogenic rating [ 3 ]
Good for dry skin
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!
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Citric AcidAntioxidantAHA
Roles: Buffering, Chelating, Fragrance, Masking
Cleansing
Exfoliating
Soothing
Lightening
Lifting
Hair growth stimulating
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.
