If skin care products have good ingredients, will they definitely be effective?

Review expert: Li Xixi, PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology

In recent years, with the gradual rise of the e-commerce industry, the profession of beauty live broadcaster has gradually entered the public eye. As beauty live broadcasting has risen, some businesses want to take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune, so they use the selling point of skin care products containing special ingredients to cause a buying frenzy, but consumers often "step on thunder" after buying them.

There are many summaries of "skin care ingredients and effects" on the Internet.

Source: Baidu

Over time, consumers had to "learn on their own" and become "ingredient-conscious" to ease the situation. However, there are countless skin care products on the market that use special ingredients as a selling point. Is it true that "good ingredients will definitely lead to good results"?

Moisturizing and anti-inflammatory options

Currently, skin care products on the market have moisturizing and anti-inflammatory effects. Moisturizing products often use glycerin, hyaluronic acid, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate and panthenol as moisturizers , which can absorb moisture from the dermis and the surrounding environment into the stratum corneum to achieve a moisturizing effect. Among them, glycerin and butylene glycol are extremely cost-effective. Softeners such as jojoba oil, squalane, and polydimethylsiloxane can fill the gaps in the skin and make the skin surface smoother and softer.

In the ingredient list of skin care products, generally the higher the ranking, the higher the content

Source: A shopping website

In addition, occlusive agents are chemical ingredients in skin care products that act as sealants and prevent water evaporation, and are also often used in moisturizing products. For example, thicker petrolatum, lanolin, spermaceti, mineral oil, silicone derivatives, etc. are more suitable for people with dry skin to moisturize their skin.

Vaseline

Source: Wikipedia

In anti-inflammatory and repair products, allantoin, urea and various plant extracts are often used to play an anti-inflammatory and soothing role. Ceramide and cholesterol can strengthen the structure of the skin's surface and are well-deserved "repair powerhouses" among all ingredients. They are suitable for consumers with skin damage such as eczema and rosacea.

Source: pexels

The right way to glow white

We Chinese have been pursuing fair and translucent skin since ancient times, and there are countless whitening products with rich and diverse ingredients and formulas for different consumers to choose from. Common whitening ingredients include niacinamide, vitamin C, arbutin, etc., but most of them need to be stored away from light and can only be used at night.

Source: pexels

Niacinamide

At certain concentrations, it can have anti-wrinkle and anti-inflammatory effects. But it is also controversial because many consumers believe that niacinamide can also promote hair growth, although there is currently no research showing that the use of niacinamide will promote hair growth.

Introduction of Niacinamide in Whitening Products

Source: A shopping website

Vitamin E and Vitamin C

It not only has anti-aging and antioxidant effects, but also promotes collagen synthesis, reduces fine lines and brightens skin tone. Retinol (vitamin A), as an anti-aging "star", can effectively reduce fine lines, but it requires the skin to gradually adapt and pay attention to sun protection; but if it is used excessively, it may cause fetal malformation, so pregnant women should use it with caution. Azelaic acid, salicylic acid, and fruit acid have a wide range of effects in removing acne.

Source: pixabay

Is it true that “ingredients are king”? The answer is obviously no. It is one-sided to talk about the effectiveness of skin care products simply from the perspective of ingredients. Many skin care products that can achieve the expected effects actually need to work under special conditions.

For example, the once popular skin care concept - "C in the morning and A at night" means using skin care products containing vitamin C in the morning and vitamin A at night. Although vitamin C and vitamin A can effectively resist skin aging, for those with extremely sensitive skin and damaged skin barrier, there is no way to effectively absorb these skin care ingredients, which will only increase the burden on the skin.

Source: unsplash

Similarly, the popular skin care ingredient, blue copper peptide, has excellent repair and anti-aging effects, but the biggest disadvantage of such a high-quality ingredient is that it is unstable and easily precipitated and oxidized. Merchants need to use special freeze-drying technology to ensure the activity of blue copper peptide as much as possible; at the same time, consumers should avoid mixing it with acidic, alkaline, and oxidizing skin care products when using it, so as to effectively repair the skin barrier.

Source: pixabay

Skin care ingredients are not king, nor should they be guilty

In daily life, many consumers are afraid of some special "acne-causing" or "face-damaging" ingredients when choosing skin care products.

For example, the alcohol component . High concentrations of alcohol can indeed damage the stratum corneum and easily cause allergies. As a result, many people mistakenly believe that alcohol cannot be used on sensitive skin, but this is not actually the case.

There are also fragrances . Some fragrance ingredients can easily irritate the skin. People who are sensitive to fragrances need to try to avoid products containing cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamaldehyde, hydroxycitronellal, geraniol, eugenol, isoeugenol, oak moss extract, etc. However, skin care products that contain fragrances normally added in accordance with regulations will not cause harm to normal skin.

Source: pixabay

The most misleading thing is preservatives. Preservatives can protect skin care products from microbial contamination and extend the product life; they can also reduce the risk of consumers getting infected by using products contaminated by microorganisms. If added in accordance with regulations, preservatives in skin care products do not cause much problem to the skin, but preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, formaldehyde releasers, isothiazolinones, etc. are ingredients that are easy to irritate the skin, and people with sensitive skin should avoid them appropriately.

Source: pixabay

Everyone's skin is different and affected by other factors. Therefore, these skin care ingredients are not the "culprit" for skin "acne" and "bad face". The "real culprit" is actually bad living habits.

In a word, choosing the right product for yourself is the most important thing . Even if you become an "ingredient party", you still need to combine your own skin condition and use the knowledge you have mastered to make reasonable judgments and choices about skin care products.