Product Knowledge Flashcards
What are Cosmeceuticals?
- Products that intended to improve the skin’s health and appearance
- Performance ingredients that may cause biochemical reactions physiological effects in the skin
What kind of ingredient is Vitamin C?
Cosmeceutical
What types of ingredients may cause biochemical reactions physiological effects in the skin?
Cosmeceuticals
What are performance ingredients?
Ingredients that “do the work” like cleansing, moisturizing, or otherwise treating the skin.
Ex: hydroxy acid in anti-aging exfoliating products
Ex: tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide in acne treatments
What category do tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide fall under?
performance ingredients
What are Functional ingredients?
- Ingredients that make up the formula of the product
- Majority of the product
- Can be used to help the product spread, provide texture, color, consistency, or as a preservative
What category makes up the majority of skincare ingredients?
Functional ingredients
What’s the most frequently used cosmetic ingredient?
Water
What is an Emollient?
- Serve to help a product slip on the skin
- Fatty materials derived from oils or fat used to lubricate and moisturize the skin. Meant to cover the skin’s surface to prevent dehydration and replenish oil
What’s an Occulsive?
a type of emollient that prevents dehydration. They seal the skin so water can’t escape and prevents TEWL (trans epidermal water loss)
What is TEWL?
trans epidermal water loss
What ingredients are considered emollients?
Oils, Fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty esters, silicones
What is Comedogenicity?
the tendency of an ingredient to cause or worsen buildup in the follicle
Describe Fatty Acids & give examples
- Lubricating Ingredients
- Give a product a soft firm texture
- Sources are plant and animal fats
- Examples: Oleic Acid (Omega 9), Stearic Acid, Caprylic Acid
Where is Oleic Acid (Omega 9) found?
in avocado oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil
What is Stearic Acid, and what does it do?
Fatty Acid. 18 part synthetic compound. Often in bar soaps. Allows water to combine with debris and rinse away
What Caprylic Acid used for and where is it found?
obtained from the milk of various mammals (primary marine). Used mostly for its antimicrobial effects
Describe Fatty Alcohols & give examples
Fatty acids that have been exposed to hydrogen
Not drying
Cetyl Alcohol (Cetearyl), Lauryl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol
What are Lauryl and Stearyl alcohols typically used for?
thickening agents
Describe Fatty Esters
Fatty acids and fatty alcohols combine to create fatty esters. They lubricate like oil without greasiness or heaviness. Ingredient names typically end in “-ate”.
What is Octyl Palmitate and how is it used?
Fatty Ester derived from palm oil. Often used as a replacement for silicone. Provides a “dry slip” feel to products
What is Isopropyl Palmitate and how is it used?
Fatty Ester. binder ingredient used to help products condition the skin. Can also support product consistency
What is Stearate and how is it used?
Fatty ester commonly used in makeup products. Helps keep ingredients from separating over time
Describe Silicones and their uses
- Create a “breathable barrier” on the skin
- Non Comedogenic, light occlusives that leave a soft, silky feel on the skin
- Added to makeup as a waterproofing action
- Made from natural ingredients, but go through a lot of processing in order to create these different properties
What is Dimethicone and how is it used?
Silicone antifoaming agent used in products support to the skin’s barrier in fighting TEWL
What is Cyclomethicone and how is it used?
Silicone conditioning agent used in makeup products to provide a protective barrier to the skin. Supports a temporary plumping effect
What is Phenyl Trimethicone and how is it used?
Silicone antifoaming agent that allows for spreadability of a product
What are Surfactants?
- Reduce the surface tension between the skin and the product
- Increase spreadability of cosmetic products
- Separate dirt and oil
What is the most extensive category of cosmetic chemicals
Surfactants
