Best Worst Exfoliator Ingredients

Best and Worst Ingredients in Exfoliators and Moisturizer Products

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Thu, Aug 27, 2009

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I previously summarized the best and worst ingredients for facial masks and cleansing products from the book Beautiful Skin : Every Woman’s Guide To Looking Her Best At Any Age. This article is a continuation that looks at the best and worst ingredients for exfoliators and moisturizing products.

Read the Other articles - The best /worst Ingredients in: Exfoliators and Moisturizer | Facial Masks and Cleansing Products | Common Ingredients

Warning: the article may read like another language due to a lot of scientific terms..

Best Exfoliator Ingredients

AHAs: Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the glue between cells, helping them to exfoliate more rapidaly.
BHAs: Beta hydroxy acids also loosen cells, gently increasing exfoliation. (AHAs and BHAs may irritate sensitive skin.)
Vitamin A: Helps to increase cell turnover, so skin exfoliates more quickly.
Jojoba: The exfoliating microspheres of jojoba (seeds) gently unclog pores and exfoliate dead cells. The jojoba microspheres are uniform in size and shape, which has been shown in clinical studies to be less irritating to the skin than irregularly shaped conventional exfoliants, such as apricot kernels, walnut shells, and pumice.
Papain: An enzyme found in papaya fruit, papain has a softening effect on tissues.

Worst Exfoliator Ingredients

Apricot Kernels, Walnut Shells, and Pumice: These ingredients contain irregularly shaped articles with sharp edges that can break capillaries in the delicate facial areas.

Best Moisturizer Ingredients

Vegetal Squalane: This ingredient is naturally derived from olives and is enriched with a high percentage of lipids, a key component needed in moisturizers. Vegetal squalane has a high affinity to skin and is hypoallergenic.
Sodium Hyaluronate: Because of its high relative molecular mass, this ingredient actually fixes moisture on the surface of the skin and locks it in. It is an excellent water reservoir and an ideal lubricant.
Glycerin: This humectant helps to loosen dry skin scales and is extremely effective even on the most stubborn dry skin problems. A special bonus is that it does not aggravate acne.
Urea: Urea, like phospholipids, is a natural moisturizing factor that acts to attract and hold onto water at the skin surface. These particles work by binding water in place or by helping the skin rearrange its cellular proteins internally, which creates water retention. Urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin and also has the bonus of not aggravating acne.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C helps promote the body’s natural production of collagen, a vital element in maintaining the skin’s firmness and elasticity. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant to fight against skin-damaging free radicals, which are stimulated by exposure to UV light, tobacco smoke, and other environmental hazards. It also improves the barrier function of the skin, helping the skin to retain moisture and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

Worst Moisturizer Ingredients

Acetylated Lanolin: An ingredient derived from sheep’s wool, acetylated lanolin is highly comedogenic and likely to cause skin to break out.
Cocoa Butter: Although it is an effective moisturizer, cocoa butter can irritate sensitive skin.
Fragrance: It is best to avoid fragrance in products. There is no good reason for a moisturizer to contain fragrances, because they add no moisturizing benefits and may be potentially allergenic or irritating.
Tallow: This ingredient is an animal fat that can clog pores.
PABA Sunscreen: Many people are allergic to PABA, an active ingredient in some sunscreens. It is potentially irritating and can sting. It causes allergies alone and in combination with sunlight. PABA also has a tendency to trigger acne.