Cosmetic Ingredients Review Archives

Water: The Ultimate Moisturizer

by theglamscientist | | Cosmetic Ingredients Review, cosmetics, hair conditioning, moisturizer, moisturizing, occlusive agents, skin conditioning, water | 2 comments

A few weeks ago, I saw a tweet that baffled me a bit. Someone (I don’t remember who) was completely annoyed that the top ingredient in some product was water. My first thought was “Whoa, what’s wrong with water?!” More recently, I read about a product line whose claim to fame is “water-free”. From a formulator’s perspective, water can be a nuisance when you are trying to avoid the use of preservatives. That is a big deal in times like these where the natural, eco and organic movement is in full effect. I’m still not clear why consumers would be up in arms about the presence of water in a formula, but I’m here to tell you why you should love it.

Water is THE ultimate moisturizer. Moisture cannot exist if water is not present, so the primary function of water in a moisturizing product is to be the source of moisture. In a perfect world, water would be all we need to maintain well moisturized skin and hair, but that’s just not the way it is. Because water will always evaporate, there needs to be ingredients in a product that act as a barrier to prevent water loss. These barrier (occlusive) ingredients are waxes, vegetable oils and silicone oils. As a bonus, most barrier ingredients come with added benefits like vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, etc.

Another main function of water in a cosmetic formula is to be a solvent. Not only are raw materials concentrated, but they also need a medium to be dispersed. Water dissolves these raw materials and allows them to be used in safe concentrations. [While many raw materials can be used as is, they are equally effective in lesser concentrations.] I fear that some people think water as a top ingredient makes the product “watered down” or ineffective. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Consider the amount of laundry detergent you use in relation to the amount of water the fills the washer. The ratio of detergent to water is clearly 1 to 99 yet, you have full confidence that the minute amount of detergent you used will clean your clothes. The same concept applies to water in cosmetics.

Finally, water plays a major role in the texture of a product. Moisturizers and hair conditioners, for instance, benefit from easier application, spreadability (hmmm is that a word?) etc when water is used effectively. Water as a main ingredient can also be indicative of a lighter formula.

Contrary to popular belief, all skin types and hair types need moisture. So the next time you see water as a top ingredient, be thankful that the formulator thought about your need for moisture. Pay closer attention to the types of oils the product uses to lock that moisture in… dry skin and hair will need heavier oils and oily skin will need much lighter oils.

Are you a consumer that’s not big on water in cosmetics? How do you feel about it now?

Techie Tuesday on Saturday: Parabens… Why Care?

by theglamscientist | | breast cancer awareness, Cosmetic Ingredients Review, FDA, parabens, preservatives | 0 comments

I think I can keep this short and sweet. In recent years there has been a big fuss made about parabens in cosmetic applications. So what’s it all about? Parabens are preservatives used to protect your personal care products from the growth of harmful microorganisms. Most personal care products have water as one of the main ingredients. Any product that contains water can grow some really nasty stuff so preservatives are a must. Sidebar– while I’m an advocate and producer of natural personal care products, I firmly believe in the use of some sort of preservative system. I do not think it is safe to sell natural products without preservatives because the average consumer does not consider expiration dates.– The most commonly used parabens are: methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben. They are usually used together to minimize the amount of preservatives necessary to achieve the same end result.

Parabens have been confirmed to be safe by both the FDA and the Cosmetic Ingredients Review expert panel in the concentrations used (0.01-0.3%). The problem is parabens have been found in the breast tissue of breast cancer patients. So the premise is; because parabens are in breast cancer tissue, parabens must cause breast cancer…. not necessarily true. In the studies conducted, normal breast tissue was not tested for the presence of parabens. So who knows, they may exist naturally! Parabens also exhibit estrogen like behavior. Estrogen activity has been linked to the occurance of breast cancer. However, parabens have much lower estrogen levels than what is naturally found in the human body.

Armed with this info, its now up to you to decide if you believe the hype. As a scientist, research carries a whole lot of weight to me. Personally, I am not alarmed by the ‘possibility’ of parabens causing breast cancer… but just in case, you won’t find those preservatives in my line of products.