12 minute read

 

Although over the last few months we have published several articles on the benefits of moisturisers relating to skincare routines, dry and sensitive skin, the value of ingredients in serum, and moisturising vs hydrating products, in this article I wanted to focus on key functions that you would expect from a moisturiser and some facts which most people may not know.

 

Skincare Benefit Claims

 

 

The marketing of moisturisers is a colossal engine that appears to have exploded over the last 3 or 4 decades and certainly it is pervasive on the internet, physical retail, social media, you name it. And did you know that the name “moisturiser” is really a marketing rather than a medical or scientific designation?

In fact, despite the plethora of clinical studies showing the benefits of one form of moisturiser versus another, or ingredient benefits, there are few well-controlled, rigorous studies that show absolute unique advantages of the products or substances being investigated.

Also, even when claims are made that a product is “hypoallergenic” or “allergy tested” one must exercise a good measure of caution because there are no universal standards for making these types of claims.

The same goes for products being “noncomedogenic” – meaning that the products will not give rise to pimples. In reality, most if not all moisturisers in the market today use ingredients that are noncomedogenic ingredients.

 

 

The other common claim is the fact moisturisers can “infuse” the skin with loads of vitamins and antioxidants. Though, at most we could be saying is that products with these ingredients provide a source of nourishment and substances that have antioxidant benefits, but we can never be sure that they’ll reach the exact target area in the basal cell membrane or in the dermis.

Besides, often the concentration of these molecules is below the required threshold to result in a specific benefit, and in many cases, such as with vitamin A associated molecules, they are light and oxygen sensitive and they often degrade rapidly once applied to the skin. Because of this it really is impossible to know the exact amount of these substances that will be in an active form to improve your skin.

This is the reason why at Azurlis™ we refrain from making definitive claims, other than indicating that the products indeed contain the beneficial ingredients, but that results are subject to each of our unique anatomy, physiology, genetics and lifestyle. This is also why we encourage a good and healthy diet as well as exercise.

Interestingly, there is also a kind of philosophy “tug of war” between dermatologists and the rest of the skin care fraternity that adheres to the natural skincare approaches.

 

 

Dermatologists vs Natural Skincare

 

Many dermatologists disapprove of non-medically prescribed skincare that is being marketed online, over the counter, in beauty stores as well as any other retail channels, and in many ways, they have a point.

As far as they are concerned, there is a lot of “pseudoscientific hogwash”, because all moisturisers will improve dry skin… since by definition all moisturisers regardless of their quality will provide water as well as oils in an emulsion form. But as you know oils and water will remain separate without the presence of an emulsifier. So, all lotions and cream moisturisers are emulsions.

Just as an aside, let’s review how emulsions are made.

Emulsifiers are generally prepared from plant and animal sources, though there are many synthetic emulsifiers, some considered nature identical, which are regularly used in natural skincare.

When you add an emulsifier to an oil-in-water mixture, the emulsifier envelops the oil droplet with their hydrophobic ends, while their hydrophilic ends point in the other direction facing to the water molecules.

 

 

This creates an oil-in-water emulsion, as represented below with the hydrophilic end facing the water.

 

 

In a water-in-oil emulsion, the emulsifier orientation is reversed. 

Back to Skincare

 

 

The other point that dermatologists make is that, as much as we might like the feel of moisturisers and lotions, with all the wonderful mysterious and novel ingredients in the market, there is a very old and widely used petroleum-derived product that works really well as a moisturiser, and this is Vaseline.

As a natural and botanical skincare proponent, I would not recommend Vaseline, but you can make your own choices.

A further valuable point that dermatologists make is that in order for a moisturiser to be effective you also need humectants, as substances that attract water to themselves.

 

How do Moisturisers Work on Your Skin?

 

Let’s go back to the skin diagram, comparing young and old skin.

 

 

The Light Pink top layer on the skin is the Stratum corneum, consisting of keratinocytes that are organised like a brick wall, where each brick/keratinocyte is surrounded by "cement".

These keratinocytes are flattened as they rise from Purple Germinal layer to the surface of the epidermis, and in the process, they lose their nucleus.

Often, we see these referred to as a “dead layer”, but think about it… how can they be dead? The functions described below would not happen, apart from which your skin would smell “off”… and we know that this is not the case, so I refer to the keratinocytes as having no nucleus, but not dead.

The “cement” in between the keratinocytes is made up of lipids and water. So, although the skin offers a barrier to loss or gain of water, itself is composed of between 20 – 30% water, when we are well hydrated.

The stratum corneum can absorb up to 5 - 6 times its weight and increase its volume when the skin is immersed in water, like when you have a bath or go swimming and get “orange peel skin”.

However, the curious thing is that it is not the amount of water that is important, but rather the effect that the water has on enzymes that regulate the sloughing of keratinocytes. This is called “desquamation”.

Without water, the keratinocytes accumulate resulting in flaky skin, disorganised stratum corneum with cracks and irregular areas.

Since moisturisers contain oil, the mistaken belief is that the oil in our skin is being replaced… but it is the lack of water rather than oil, that is the culprit in dry skin.

If you don’t believe this, think of children’s skin, without sebaceous activity, and their skin is smooth and soft. Of course there are exceptions, especially when eczema and other very dry skin conditions present in some children, but most children’s skin is likely to be problem-free as a generalisation.

 

 

What Ingredients Should Moisturisers Contain for Optimal Function?

 

By now you know that moisturisers contain water, oils and emulsifiers.
Also, most but not all, of these emulsifiers in skincare tend to be “thick waxy looking” or solid “fatty alcohols” (because of their backbone being structurally related to that of alcohols).

What is important to realise is that although the stratum corneum can absorb water easily, it can’t hold onto it! Water evaporates and it can also be lost through perspiration. So, before you apply a moisturiser, especially if you have tendency for dry skin, as it happens as we age, it would be highly advisable to replenish the water in your skin, through a bath or applying a toner, such as Azurlis™ Toners, or your favourite kind.

Applying a toner or spraying water onto the dry areas may be easier than soaking in a bath, especially in today’s lifestyle.

Equally the moisturiser you use should have 3 Key Groups of Ingredients. These are discussed below, and although a reference will be made to the mainstream type of ingredients, the focus will be on those naturally approved ingredients that perform the same function as the mainstream ones.

  

Occlusives

 

Occlusive ingredients create a physical barrier on top of the skin to keep skin moist and hydrated. These ingredients tend to be heavy, greasy, and often sticky waxy in their chemistry.

Their target area on the skin is to maintain a balanced hydration of the epidermal skin layer, as shown below.

 

Typical of occlusives are the "fatty alcohols" or waxes like the cetyl alcohol family. These have physical properties that enable their permeation through the keratinocyte layers.

Examples of ingredients with occlusive properties are shown below.

Natural & Botanical Skincare

In the ingredients list look out for the following non-animal derived ingredients:

Argan oil, Castor oil, Cocoa butter, Coconut oil, Borage oil, Castor oil, Safflower oil, Shea butter, Avocado oil, Olive oil, Tamanu oil, Squalene, Vegetable waxes, Lecithin, Cetearyl alcohol and related, Vegetable-derived Glycerine, Stearic acid.

Mainstream Skincare

In the ingredients list you will probably find some of the above, but the most common ingredients are:

Dimethicone, Sterol, Mineral oil, Petrolatum, Silicones, Lecithin, Paraffin, Lanolin.

 

Humectants 

 

Humectants describe ingredients that draw in and retain moisture, both from the air and from the deeper skin layers.
 

 

If the environment is very dry, humectants only have the option to draw water from inside the skin. Because of this, sometimes humectants can contribute to the skin dryness, potentially damaging the stratum corneum further and in general they ought to be used in combination with the Occlusive ingredients described above.

There are a variety of humectants. Some are naturally occurring others are synthesised from organic compounds or petrochemicals.  

Natural & Botanical Skincare

In the ingredients list look out for the following non-animal derived ingredients:

Hyaluronic acid, Aloe vera, Vegetable glycerine, Sodium lactate, Salicylic acid, Lactic acid, Sorbitol, Seaweed, Betaine, Alpha hydroxylcarboxylic acid, Sodium PCA (Pyrrolidone Carboxy acid).

Mainstream Skincare

In the ingredients list you will probably find some of the above, but the most common ingredients are:

Panthenol, Glycerine, Urea, Propanediol, Propylene glycol.

  

 

Emollients

 

Emollient ingredients act like a ‘sponge” to soften and smooth skin by “filling the spaces between fine wrinkles as well as in between the layers of our skin keratinocytes”. This is why emollients make the skin smoother. See figure below, showing the emollient as little blue beads on top of the stratum corneum.

 

 

 

This improves the skin barrier function and enhances the pliability of the keratinocyte’s membranes. 

Emollient ingredients tend to be softer, have a silky texture, and are lighter on the skin than occlusive ingredients. 

Natural & Botanical Skincare

In the ingredients list look out for the following non-animal derived ingredients:

Argan oil, Jojoba oil, Bakuchiol, Coconut Oil, Cocoa butter, Rosehip Oil, Apricot kernel oil, Squalene, Hyaluronic acid, Rice bran oil, Sorbitol, Aloe vera, Meadowfoam oil, Avocado oil.

Mainstream Skincare

In the ingredients list you will probably find some of the above, but the most common ingredients are:

Glycerine, Dimethicone, Octyldodecanol.

 

Other Ingredients

 

Vitamins in the form of the retinoic acid – a form of vitamin A is also included in many skincare products, especially those targeting the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, through stimulation of collagen synthesis.

However, frequently the vitamin A form used in the products is retinyl palmitate that is used because it is a very stable molecule, though much less active than the active retinoic acid. So, it is highly unlikely that the amounts of retinyl palmitate in the product will have any efficacy on collagen increase and reduction of wrinkles, as a large quantity of the lesser active form would be required.  Though it is possible that retinyl palmitate may function as a humectant.

Vitamin C – this is usually shown as ascorbic acid, and although there are studies showing the benefits of topical vitamin C, the amounts in skincare are way lower than those in the studies. Besides, the functionality of vitamin C in skincare is questionable because of it is inactivated by light and exposure to oxygen.

Vitamin E – mostly used as tocopheryl acetate is biologically inactive, hence it is only potentially useful as a product antioxidant rather than a cellular active ingredient.

There is also a raft of other ingredients for which skincare benefits are claimed such as gold, silver, platinum, active botanicals, essential oils and many more. However, these will be discussed in a future article.
 

Natural Ingredients with Multiple Functions

 

As you’ll notice above some ingredients appear in more than one Key Ingredient Group.

 

 

This is useful because it is evident that a moisturiser must include ingredients with a broad range of functionality to ensure that the skin moisture level is regulated from the surface, on the stratum corneum to the deeper layer, the dermis, and vice versa.

This also has implications on what some products will feel denser than others, and why some products are absorbed more slowly.

 

Some Notes on Two of the Azurlis™ Moisturisers

 Intensive Moisturising Day Cream

 

This product is a protective moisturiser with ingredients that remain on the surface as emollients = softening, yet equally as efficient to enable improving the skin barrier function and water retention.

Example of the main ingredients in this product are shown below:

Aqua (water), cetearyl glucoside^, cetearyl alcohol^, Linum usititassimum* (flax seed), Theobroma cacao* (cocoa butter), Borago officinalis* (borage), Butyrospermum parkii* (shea butter), Macadamia integrifolia* (macadamia), Ricinus communis* (castor), Calendula officinalis* (calendula), vegetable glycerine*, Oenothera bienis* (evening primrose), coco caprate/caprylate, cetostearyl alcohol, hyaluronic acid (yeast derived), Aloe barbadensis* (aloe vera), dehydroacetic acid^, benzyl alcohol^, plant derived stearic acid^, sodium stearoyl glutamate^, d-alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin E).

Because of its texture and functionality this is a great all rounder for all skins, especially as an anti-ageing everyday product with other ingredients that complement the activity of the ingredients shown in bold characters.

 

Gentle Daily Moisturiser

 

This product was formulated for skin types that require protection such as sensitive and fragile skins, though less focused on the anti-ageing aspect. So it has fewer ingredients. Besides the percentage of the Occlusive ingredients is lower, so the texture of this moisturiser is lighter than that of the Intensive Moisturising Day Cream.

Example of the main ingredients in this product are shown below:

 

The Take Home Message

 

In summary, when looking for a moisturiser consider the attributes the product is really meant to have to improve your skin, apart from feeling great to apply.

Key attributes include:

• Prevention of moisture loss through evaporation and lack of hydration.
• Restoring and repairing the barrier that your skin provides.
• Having a mixture of ingredients that remain on the surface of the epidermis, that get absorbed and that encourage the retention of water between the epidermis and the dermis.
• This helps to regulate the physiological exfoliation cycle to enable the older keratinocytes to shed and allow newer one to surface from the geminal layer.

One final point, although we now have a much better understanding of how these ingredients work, there is still so much to explore. But it is quite extraordinary that many of these ingredients were being used over the Millenia.

Be kind to your skin… your most precious asset. Happy moisturising!