Why You Should Love COSMECEUTICALS
What's So Special About Cosmeceuticals?
Cosmeceuticals focus on skin repair of all skin types, so what's not to love? They work! They treat skin conditions like, Dry & Damaged, Oily & Acneic, and Sensitive & Rosacea. I've seen severe ( grade III & IV) acne start clearing up within a week. For anyone suffering from a less than stellar complexion, these products hold the keys to what can be life changing results. This is done through a combination active and inactive ingredients.
Inactive Ingredients Deliver The Goods
In order for inactive ingredients to deliver effectively, they must penetrate the protective barrier of the skin. After all, one of the main functions of our skin is to protect us from outside elements, water loss and microorganisms. There are 2 ways for inactive ingredients to achieve this goal:
- Intercellular Route - Carries active ingredients thru the stratum corneum between the skin's cells
- Trans-cellular Route - Carries active ingredients directly through the cells. This is possible through nanotechnology.
Light Chemical Peeling on a regular basis keeps the skin healthy. Peeling removes the top layer of dead skin cells and in so doing, aids in product delivery
The Role of Active Ingredients
Active Ingredients are ingredients have an effect on the skin. They are added to a product to carry out an action and produce a result. For example, retinol is added to products to increase cell turnover. As we age, our cell renewal rate slows down from every 21 - 28 days as teens to between 42 - 84 days for adults over 50. Increasing cell turnover has many benefits such as stimulating collagen, diminishing fine lines and keeping pores clear of the dead skin that traps bacteria, causing breakouts.
Inactive Ingredients are added to a product to help Deliver active ingredients as well as preserve the products and make them aesthetically pleasing.
Nanotechnology In Skincare
Nanotechnology allows chemists to manipulate materials on a molecular scale, thus creating the "micronization" of ingredients. For example, zinc oxide has been used for many years as a safe, effective sun block since it's not absorbed into the skin but it left a visible white residue. Many of us remember seeing the noses at the pool covered in white. Since it's now micronized, the particle are still sitting on your skin, but the particles are so small that they can no longer be seen by the naked eye.
T4 Skincare's Collagen Boosting Cream
High Quality Ingredients
Cosmesceuticals contain high quality ingredients, such as peptides, plant stem cells, vitamin C, retinol, alpha & hydroxy acids (AHAs), titanium and zinc oxide and antioxidants such as ginseng, green tea and ginko. These are only a small sampling the high quality ingredients used for their tried and true skin repair abilities.
For example, peptides are chains of amino acids used in skincare for anti-inflammatory effects, anti-wrinkling and DNA repair.
Tip: Look for high quality ingredients and high percentages of those ingredients as well. For example, 20% Vitamin C serum is a high quality in a high percentage. Look for products that state the percentage on the label. If they are doing that, they probably have something to brag about.
Antioxidants...Are They Really Necessary?
Yes! Antioxidants disarm free radicals. What's a free radical? In short, an aggressive, unstable, oxygen containing molecule. They lost an electron so they need to steal another from other molecules, thus, damaging the cells they steal from...so they must be disarmed. If left, they can damage DNA & RNA and contribute to the hardening of collagen and elastin...this causes pre-mature aging, dryness, and sensitivity.
Quality cosmeceuticals contain antioxidants such as Vitamin C, CoQ10, Vitamin E-A, Coffee Berry, Ginseng, Ginko.
Comparison Price of Popular Cosmeceutical Brands
Product
| Price
| Amount of Active Ingredient
|
|---|---|---|
T4 Skincare 20% Vit. C super Serum
| $79.50/ 1 oz
| 20% Vitamin C w/ B3,B5,E & Ferulic
|
Skinceuticals C E Ferulic
| $157/1 oz
| 15% Vitamin C w/ E & Ferulic
|
Dr. N.V. Perricone
| $98.00/oz
| Vitamin C Ester
|
Before and After 6 weeks of Vitamin C Serum
FDA and Labeling
The FDA does not require that the percentage of active ingredients be listed on the ingredient label. A product can have 1/100% of an active ingredient and make no difference in skin repair but has a consumer thinking they purchased a results driven product.
Important Information Regarding Cosmetic Labels
International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, or INCI, is a system of names of ingredients used in cosmetics, soaps, etc. The important thing is they are universally recognized. For example, Purified Water's INCI name is Aqua and Vitamin E is Tocopherol.
Some companies will trademark the name of an ingredient instead of using INCI. For example, they may refer to a 'Proprietary Blend". This is usually a marketing ploy and the product contains nothing more than INCI ingredients such as Aloe and vitamin E. These products are usually heavily marketed and not time tested. Results can be short lived or underachieved
You can trust brands that list ingredients with the traditional INCI names. They are transparent which makes their ingredients easier to research.
Results Driven Skincare
The Skin Care Regime for those who not only want the healthiest skin, but to also achieve the best complexion possible is the use of high quality cosmeceuticals together with chemical peels. This routine can clear up the worst cases of acne, make tired, tough skin look bright and dewy, and even tone the brightest "red" face down (because rosy cheeks really only look good on Santa) It's not magic, it's cosmeceuticals and we love them.
