Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1191176
30 ascp skin deep january/february 2020 lipids are diff erent from sebum, in that they are produced during the cell renewal process. As skin gets older, the cell renewal cycle slows, and the skin does not produce as many barrier lipids as it did when it was younger. This creates gaps in the mortar, allowing moisture to escape from the inner skin. Sun- damaged skin often suff ers from damage that also results in defi cient barrier lipids and impaired barrier function. INGREDIENT SPECIFICS There are several types of moisturizer ingredients. Moisturizers can contain emollient-protective ingredients like oils, waxes, or petrolatum that coat the skin and keep existing moisture from evaporating. Examples of emollients are shea butter, various natural oils, fatty esters, silicones, or waxes. This type of moisturizer is helpful for alipidic skin, as the protective emollients substitute for sebum lying on the top of the skin and block moisture from escaping. Hydrating moisturizers can contain hydration-attracting ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or sodium PCA that attract water like a magnet and bind it to the skin surface. They are not oils—they are hydrating agents called humectants, which pull water from the atmosphere (and from the product) and attach the moisture to the skin. Ceramides are lipid ingredients that go between the cells and patch the mortar. Ceramides fi ll the spaces between skin cells and trap moisture. They are very eff ective in helping the skin improve moisture retention. THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR THE RIGHT ISSUE Always carefully analyze your client's specifi c condition to recommend the perfect moisturizer for their individual needs. All three types of moisture ingredients—humectants, ceramides, and emollients—are often mixed, as they all have diff erent functions and work well together in diff erent concentrations and combinations. Humectants attract water to the skin, ceramides hold it between the cells, and emollients seal the surface to preempt water loss/evaporation. For alipidic skin, humectants are commonly blended with oils. The humectants attract the water and the emollients seal it into the skin surface. A common combination would be a lotion or cream with emollient shea butter or capric/caprylic triglycerides combined with hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate. In oily or acne-prone skin that is also dehydrated, low amounts of noncomedogenic lightweight emollients, like cyclopentasiloxane (a non-clogging silicone derivative), are combined with humectants glycerin and sodium PCA, which act as water magnets. This adds water to the skin without exposing the clog-prone skin to clogging oils. In sun-damaged or aging skin, a combination of ceramides, humectants, and emollients infuse the interstitial spaces with ceramide to hold moisture, which is attracted by hyaluronic acid (humectant) and sealed on the top of the skin by natural oils or shea butter. Alpha hydroxy acids are also great for sun-damaged skin, as they increase cell renewal, which, in turn, increases the client's own lipid production. All three types of moisture ingredients— humectants, ceramides, and emollients—are often mixed, as they all have different functions and work well together in different concentrations and combinations. expertadvice SKIN SOLUTIONS