Do You Know What Your Skin Needs? Part Three

Important Active Ingredients

Allantoin: Biogenic skin softener which accelerates haling and improves skin hydration

Arabinoglactan (Galactoarabinan): Immune stimulating, anti-aging polysaccharide with gentle stimulating properties

Collagen Amplifier System: Peptide based, stimulates collagen production

Beta Glucan: Enhances skin immunity and wound closing, protects against UV damage and hydrates skin

CoQ10: Helps energize new skin cell growth

Decyl Polyglucoside: Gentle, foaming skin cleanser derived from corn

Hyaluronic Acid: Biogenic moisturizing agent with significant water-binding properties

Jojoba Oil: A non-comedogenic, anti-bacterial non-oil that is similar to natural human lipids

Lactic Acid: Mild alpha hydroxy acid which acts as a skin softener and lightener

NaPCA: A biogenic humectant that holds onto water molecules to keep skin cells hydrated

Peg-7 Gyceryl Cocoate: A refatting agent that prevents irritation from occurring during cleansing

Phospholipids: Biogentic skin softener, moisturizing, anti-irritant, improves transdermal penetration

Resorcinol: A powerful anti-bacterial agent with anti-acne, peeling and exfoliating properties

Salicylic Acid: A beta hydroxy acid, breaks up oil and has powerful skin stimulating and anti-bacterial properties

Squalane: The predominate lipid found in human skin, extremely penetrating and skin softening

Tocotrienols: Powerful anti-oxidants form of Vitamin E

Vitamin A/Retinol: Improves skin elasticity, epidermal and dermal thickening, can help reverse photo damage, enhances new skin cell growth, retexturizes

Vitamin C: Collagen stimulating, anti-aging, protective, healing, skin softening properties, helps even skin pigmentation

Vitamin D: Important for skin cell stabilization, improves skin healing and immunity

Vitamin E: Moisturizes skin from within, aids tissue repair and protects from environmental stress

Vitamin K: Helps support small blood vessels, improves spider vein conditions, heals bruising

Forms of Vitamin A

Vitamin A is the skin’s most important fat-soluble nutrient. It is referred to as a skin cell normalizer. This means that Vitamin A can stimulate cell growth for healing and anti-aging effects OR slow down cell growth to improve skin conditions like acne or psoriasis. It is available in three main forms:

Retinoic Acid: Rx, stimulates collagen, anti-aging benefits, controls growth of cells (used for acne) exfoliative, drying and may induce sun reactions

Retinol: non-Rx, similar effects as Retinoic Acid but milder

Retinyl Palmitate: moisturizing, less effective on cell or fiber growth, soothing and non-exfoliative

Forms of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the skin’s most important water-soluble vitamin. It protects skin from environmental stresses, sun damage and the causes of aging. The immune stimulating properties are well documented, and it helps improve dermal blood supply and may help improve skin pigmentation. It is available in several forms varying in stability and effectiveness.

Ascorbic Acid: water-soluble, anti-oxidant, stays on surface, poor penetration, very poor stability, helps lighten skin and exfoliate dead cells

Ascorbyl Palmitate: fat-soluble (lipophilic), deep penetrating, soothing, softening, moisturizing and healing, best if used topically

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate: fat-soluble (lipophilic), deep penetrating, very moisturizing, healing and soothing, improves skin pigmentation

Stimulation – Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids stimulate and exfoliate the skin. This process encourages fresh layers to the surface and enhances skin tissue growth.

Nourishment – As these younger cells surface, topical nutrients, including vitamins A, C, D, E, K and essential fatty acids nourish and accelerate the growth process.