Skincare terms Flashcards
Polyphenols (Found in green tea)
The plant polyphenols possess anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant properties and DNA repair activities, and that can be exploited for the prevention of variety of skin disorders caused by excessive exposure to solar UV light.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants protect the skin by reducing and counteracting free radical production.” These free radicals, as a refresher, can assault your skin, damaging healthy skin cells and creating oxidative stress. “Antioxidants protect your skin from this and help reduce pigmentation and fine lines and wrinkles
epigallocatechin gallate
Not only is EGCG a powerful antioxidant with anti-aging benefits, but it also blocks androgen receptors in the skin and helps sharpen insulin sensitivity. For these reasons, EGCG can be very helpful for reducing and managing hormonal acne
Green tea
rich in vitamins B2 and E, both of which keep skin healthy and youthful looking — B2 is key for collagen production while vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that supports new skin cell growth.
The antioxidants in green tea prevent the skin’s sebum or natural oils from oxidizing, a process that causes pores to clog and many believe to be a primary root cause of acne.
Plus, green tea has also specific antibacterial properties that help gently keep acne-causing bacteria under control
Keritinocytes
skin cells
4 Main Factors that overlap to cause acne.
- Excessive oil production
- Build up of dead skin cells
- Bacteria (p.acnes or c.acnes)
- Inflammation as part of an immune response to the bacteria
Research also suggests that those with acne may have reduced levels of hydration and antioxidants winthin the skin.
Emollients
Emollients soften, smoothen, and condition skin by filling in the gaps between cells/skin flakes with droplets of oil. If applied heavily, they can also act as occlusive agents. Emollients are mainly oils and lipids, particularly lipids that are naturally present in the stratum corneum [9][10]. This can help replenish depleted lipids and is particularly effective when ceramides, cholesterols, and fatty acids are combined together [11].
Occlusive
Occlusives create a barrier on top of the skin in order to reduce/physically block TEWL and are most effective when applied to wet skin [15]. The most widely-used and effective occlusive agent is petroleum jelly (a.k.a. Vaseline) which can reduce TEWL by more than 98% when used at a minimum concentration of 5% [16]. The next best occlusive agents are lanolin, mineral oil, and silicones (e.g. dimethicone). However, these only reduce TEWL by 20-30% [10].
While occlusive agents are effective at reducing TEWL, they often have a very greasy consistency which makes them less cosmetically appealing and potentially comedogenic.
Humectants
Humectants are ‘hygroscopic’ which means that they attract water into the epidermis from the dermis and/or from humid environmental conditions [10]. In addition, many humectants also have emollient properties [1].
Due to the fact that humectants draw water from the dermis, excessive use may exacerbate dry skin conditions [9]. Glycerol is considered to be one of the most effective humectants [14], although hyaluronic acid is probably the most well-known. As well as acting as a humectant by drawing water from the dermis into the epidermis, hyaluronic acid is able to form a film on the skin to reduce TEWL [17].
As mentioned earlier, NMFs are made up of amino acids and their derivatives (e.g. lactic acid, urea, and sugars). These are low-molecular-weight hygroscopic substances that are important for skin hydration. For this reason, these humectants are often included in moisturizers [10].
Urea and lactic acid are hydrating humectants at low concentrations, however, at higher concentrations they act as chemical exfoliants and increase skin cell turnover
Lipids (in the skin)
In a nutshell, lipids are skin’s natural fats. They are essential components of skin and play a crucial role in maintaining the strength of the skin’s protective barrier, which holds moisture, protects the skin from damage and keeps dirt and impurities out. They also aid the skin’s natural repair process.
When using the lipids ceramides, cholesterols, and fatty acids as emollients what is the most effective way to use them?
applying only one or two of these lipids to dehydrated skin may actually delay skin barrier recovery [12]. Specifically, they need to be combined in a ratio of between 1:1:1 to 3:1:1 (ceramides: cholesterol: fatty acids) for maximum skin hydration and barrier repair [11]. One study found that a topical cream that combined all three lipids was able to improve skin hydration within 30minutes of application
Cyclomethicone Dimethicone Isopropyl Myristate Octyl Octanoate Dry Emollients: Decyl Oleate Isopropyl Palmitate Isostearyl Alcohol Fatty Emollients: Propylene Glycol Octyl Stearate Glyceryl Stearate Jojoba Oil Castor Oil Protective Emollients: Isopropyl Isostearate Diisopropyl Dilinoleate
Examples of emollients.
Hydrocarbons: Petroleum Jelly Paraffin Mineral Oil Squalene Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Fatty Acids: Stearic Acid Lanolin Acid Fatty Alcohols: Lanolin Cetyl Alcohol Stearyl Alcohol Phospholipids: Lecithin Polyhydric Alcohols: Propylene Glycol Sterols: Cholesterol Vegetable Waxes: Candelilla Carnauba Wax Esters: Beeswax Lanolin Stearyl Stearate
List of Occlusive Agents.
Gelatin Glycerin Honey Hyaluronic Acid Panthenol Propylene Glycol Butylene Glycol Hydroxy Acids: Glycolic Acid Lactic Acid Sodium Pyrrolidine Carboxylic Acid (Sodium PCA) Sorbital Urea
Examples of Humectants
What is the difference between Lotion and Creams and o/w and w/o emulsions?
Lotions are oil-in-water emulsions, meaning that oil droplets are dispersed in water, whereas creams are water-in-oil emulsions, meaning that water droplets are dispersed in oil [14]. Lotions tend to be thinner and more ideal for daytime use, whereas creams tend to be made with heavier lipids and are more ideal for use at night.
