Evaluating skincare products: are they worth the money?

Ingredient-led beauty

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Over the past few years, beauty consumers have become more conscious of the ingredients in their favorite skincare products.

Ingredient claims

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For example, vitamin B3, or niacinamide, is reported to brighten dull skin. Vitamin A or retinol is prescribed for anti-aging, while vitamin C is claimed to brighten and protect the skin against environmental damage.

Ingredient claims

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One of the most popular ingredients of recent years, hyaluronic acid is claimed to deeply moisturize and plump the skin, helping to reduce wrinkles and fine lines.

Ingredient claims

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Vitamin E is claimed to heal and soothe. The touted benefits of these (and more) ingredients involve researchers employed by beauty companies.

Search surge

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Online luxury retailer Net-a-Porter reported a surge in ingredient searches on its website of almost 700% between 2020-2022.

Millennials and Gen Z

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Meanwhile in the US, 61% of millennial and 48% of Gen X beauty shoppers look for specific ingredients when buying skincare products, according to a 2022 study.

Fad, or foresight?

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Are we intellectualizing skincare, without knowing if these ingredients work in practice; or do they even need to be absorbed to take effect?

Skin layers

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The skin is the largest organ in our bodies, comprising three distinct layers. The first two are most relevant when it comes to the skincare we use.

Skin barrier

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The skin barrier (or epidermis) consists of tough skin cells called corneocytes. These are bound together by mortar-like lipids. Inside the skin cells, or "bricks," keratin and natural moisturizers are found.

The middle layer: dermis

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Good stores of collagen and elastin help avoid wrinkles and fine lines, making this layer the holy grail of anti-aging (or not).

Biomolecules

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For this reason, substances found in many moisturizers, including oils, silicones, and waxes, are too big to slip through the epidermis.

Formulations

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But certain kinds of formulations can circumvent this process. Using nanoparticles, or encasing a water-loving compound in fat or oil, can help products penetrate the skin.

Dermis layer absorption

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However, doing this comes with its own risk. In reaching the dermis, the skincare will also be absorbed into the body's circulatory system—which cosmetic products aren't meant to do.

Retinol

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By inhibiting the growth of these cells, retinol could make users more susceptible to sun damage. This potential light sensitivity is why it's advised to use retinol at night, and apply sunscreen the morning afterwards before going outdoors.

Peptides

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Certain kinds of peptides have the potential to travel through the skin, but this varies widely between different types.

Investigation

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Sebastian Björklund, an associate professor of physical chemistry at Sweden's Malmö University, is leading a study to investigate the topic. "Not many drugs can easily cross the trans-epidermal route because the chemistry behind it is quite difficult," says Björklund.

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