Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1037162
44 november/december 2018 just grind up the entire plant and ship it off as an ingredient. 2. How is it processed? Boiled and dried, hexane-processed, or cold-pressed? Macerated (my preferred method), micellized (oils), or carbon-dioxide processed? Again, bio strength and botanical vibrations have a lot to do with process methods. Many companies choose the least costly and fastest route, yet the ingredient name is what is selling. 3. What percentage of the active ingredient is in the final product preparation? Many beta glucan (a polysaccharide) products, due to cost for the high-end yeast cell wall extracts, put less than 1 percent in a product, allowing them to use the name on the label. It takes at least 5 percent in a cream (less in an aqueous or lipid serum) to have efficacy in the skin. 4. What is the molecular size and binding ability to wetting agents? This determines epidermal penetration. These are a few of the real queries the professional esthetician should study up on—and most sincere and knowledgeable companies should be able to tell you these things. And remember, too many ingredients in one product simply because they are popular can be self-defeating at times—unless they are totally symbiotic and have a logical, cellular reason that can be explained and justified. expertadvice INGREDIENTS Winter Skin Care Ingredients Winter is all about protection against transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and I have depended on these two sets of ingredients for several years: Intense moisture Due to its occlusive properties, petrolatum (otherwise known as petroleum jelly) is a time-honored ingredient to use in very cold climates where people are in and out of inclement weather and hot, dry office buildings, resulting in massive TEWL. It really does lock moisture in during these conditions, but regulations began to demand documentation that the ingredient was medical grade with each batch in production. This became a production nightmare due to the documents that had to be dated current for shipment. I switched to several other ingredients, such as unrefined coconut oil, shea butter, and olive oils, and received the same consistency. It holds in available moisture for hours, leaving the skin hydrated. Wetter water Water is the true moisturizer (it represents one half of our natural acid mantle—we call it sweat). In winter, we want to hold as much water in our tissues as possible, but there are times one does not want a thick, protective cream on the skin. Loading up purified water with antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, co-enzymes, and even micellized protein oils is perfect for maximum moisture. Then, including a wetting agent such as dimethyl sulfoxide— not too much or you will smell garlicky—will sink the water deep into the tissues, after which you can lock it in with a good nutrient-rich protein cream.