Label Ingredient Chart

Terms that Describe Activity of the Ingredients

See: Below for Label Ingredient Chart and Basic Ingredient Chart for all ingredients in moisturizers, lotions and anti-aging cream!

Antioxidants: We are finding more and more present in our skin care these days, and for good reason. Our environment can severely damage our skin by oxidizing and deteriorating our cells, like rust on a car, in the form of free radicals. Antioxidants fight free radicals, and prevent much of this damage but most antioxidants except for vitamin E do not have moisturizing properties.


Binding Agent: Substances that hold products together and prevents separation of the water and lipid components.


Emollients: Substances that smooth and soften the skin. There are literally several hundred emollients, each providing its own individual texture to the skin.


Emulsion: A blend of oil and water into a single smooth product.

 

Humectants: Substances that can attract water, usually out of the air. By definition, all humectants are also moisturizers.


Lubricants: Substances that make skin feel smoother to the touch and reduce friction.


Preservatives: Substances that kill detrimental bacteria, yeast and/or molds, thus prevent spoilage. Preservatives are not a bad thing.


Solvents: Substances, such as alcohol or water, which dissolve other ingredients.

 

Surfactants: Substances that enable a topical product to easily spread and glide across the skin.


Vehicle: The base that carries the active ingredients.


 

Choosing a Moisturizer       

 

See: About Moisturizer to learn the secrets! or  see: Do-It-Yourself Anti-Aging Serums their easy and fun to do.

 

• When choosing a moisturizer, skip past the hype,and read the ingredient label!          
• Occlusive ingredients should be listed near the beginning.         
• Warning: If the moisturizer does not have a ingredient label, my rule.... don't buy it!    (Stay away!)
• Recommendation: Don't buy a moisturizer or lotion with a base of mineral oil! See: Toxic Ingredients and learn why!

 

Print yourself a copy and take it with you when you go shopping for a basic moisturizer. It comes in handy, and it will help you choose a better product.

 

Basic Over the Counter Skin Moisturizer Label Ingredient Chart

Category	Property	Ingredients
O cclusive Ingredients:           Emollients	Work by slowing the evaporation of moisture from the skin.         Substances which are lubricating, thickening agents that prevent water loss and have a softening and soothing effect on the skin.	animal fats lanolin, mink oil, and turtle oil, all of which can cause allergic reactions in some people) vegetable fats : wheat germ oil, olive oil, cocoa butter, plant oils, mineral oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, petrolatum,and cholesterol. Less recognizable emollients are: palmitates, myristates, triglycerides, and stearates.   Isostearate , Sucrose Polycottonseedate , C13-C14 Isoparaffin , Panthenol Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E) , S imethicone and Dimethicone, Isohexadecane , Isopropyl
Humectants Ingredients:         Natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) or water-binding agents      Skin Conditioners	Means it has the ability to draw water right from the air and moisture from lower in the skin up to the top layer.     Substances aimed at retaining water in the skin or thought to repair intercellular structure         The "active" components in the product that improve skin	glycerin, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, urea, lactic acid, lecithin, and sodium pyrollidone carboxylic acid.         polysaccharides, hyaluronic acid, alpha hydroxy acid, sodium hyaluronate, sodium PCA, collagen, elastin, proteins, amino acids, cholesterol, glucose, sucrose, fructose, glycogen, phospholipids, glycosphingolipids, glycosaminoglycans, DEA,hydroxyethyl, cellulose     vitaniacin , niacinamide (vitamin b3) , dimethicone , cetyl alcohol , sucrose polycottonseedate , panthenol (pro vitamin b5) , tocopherol acetate (vitamin e) , dimethiconol , stearyl alcohol
Anti-irritants	Have a soothing effect on the skin	bisabolol, allantoin, burdock root, aloe, licorice root, grape,  barbadensis,extract, glycyrrhetinic acid, green tea, vitamin C, lavender extract, chamomile extract, willow bark, etc.
Antioxidants	Beneficial for cell turnover, healing, and reducing dehydration	selenium, superoxide dismutase, vitamin A (retinyl palmitate and retinol), vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl palmitate), beta glucan, vitamin E (a-tocopherol, tocotrienol), curcumin, coenzyme Q10, alpha lipoic acid, green tea, grape extract, etc.
Emulsifer or Binding Agent:	Substances which are surface-active agents that promote the mixing of oils and water	sorbitan stearate, saureth-7, sucrose, cocoate, PEG 100 stearate,  stearic acid, beeswax (or any other natural wax). glyceryl monostearate, cetearyl alcohol. sodium stearoyl lactylate.
Thickener	Substances which increase or decrease the thickness/viscosit	Polyacrylamide, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcoho
pH Adjuster; Buffering Agents	Substances used to adjust or stabilize pH	Sodium Hydroxide
Preservatives	Substances which form complexes with metal ions and prevent their adverse effects on the stability and/or appearance of products.	Benzyl Alcohol, Ethyl Paraben. Methyl Paraben. Propyl Paraben
Sunscreen Agent	Substances which protect the skin against UV rays by absorbing these ra	Octyl Methoxy Cinnamate
Opacifying Agent           Chelating Agents	Substances which reduce the clear appearance of a product. Some of these agents may provide a pearly appearance desired in some products.   Substances which form complexes with metal ions and prevent their adverse effects on the stability and/or appearance of products.	Titanium Dioxide           EDTA



 

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