Its typical use level in most cream type formulas is 2-3%. A skin protecting ingredient obtained by enzymatic synthesis from natural sugars (sucrose and maltose). So, Algae Extract can be anything from La Mer's "Miracle Broth" to a simple brownalgaeextract that helps to smooth the hair. A helper ingredient that is used to adjustthe pH of the product. I didn't want to totally give up on the eye mask because of my own user error, so I gave it another shot and this time I used a little more restraint. It also helps to keep products stay nice longer by neutralizingthe metal ionsin the formula (they usually come from water). If you need help purchasing a product directly from Allure, go to our FAQ. I wanted to show you theAveda Tulasara Wedding Masque Overnight because I think its really interesting. What is really interesting is that although its a heavy consistency it has a light, almost velvety finish on the skin with no unconfortable tackiness. As a super well-known stimulant from coffee, tea and plenty of other soft drinks,Caffeine needs no introduction. The downside of it is that it oxidises on air exposure and might become allergenic. It helps to soften scars and increase their elasticity. Oh, and one more thing: glabridin seems to be also an antioxidant, which is just one more reason to be happy about licorice root extract on an ingredient list. A common fragrance ingredient with a nice rose-like smell. There is also some research showing that citric acid with regular use (think three monthsand 20% concentration) can help sun-damaged skin, increase skin thickness and some nice hydrating things called glycosaminoglycans in the skin. Works in synergy with Vitamin C. An emollient and natural moisturizer that can be found also in the sebum (oily stuff our skin produces). With thiscontext in mind let's see whatATIP might be able to do. Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) If you are looking for rich emollient benefits + more, shea is hard to beat. Chemically, this is definitely not true, as the two forms are almost the same, both are polymers and the subunits can be repeated in both forms as much as you like. It's the chemically chopped up version of normal lecithin. The authors theorized that the 10% AA is released slowly from the silicon delivery system and probably stays in the upper layer of the skin to give antioxidant benefits, while ATIP penetrates more rapidly and deeply and gives some wrinkle-reducing benefits. Sold Out, Sign up to receive the Fresh Beauty eNews, We accept AMEX, MasterCard, VISA and PayPal, 2021 Christmas Beauty Gifts to Surprise & Delight Its part of 200 natural oils including lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, jasmine, geranium and it can be found in 90-95% of prestige perfumes on the market. It does smellnice but the problemis that it oxidizes on air exposure and the resulting stuff is not good for the skin. All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. All rights reserved. So great in fact, that it surpasses the penetration of pure vitamin Cthreefold at the same concentration and it penetrates successfully into the deeper layers of the skin (that is usually important to do some anti-aging work). Unless the brand tells you what they use, it's impossible to know for sure. I tapped it just below and around the outer corners of my eyes. I mean I piled it on. An error has occurred. It's in many plants, e.g. It might also have antioxidant and skin whiting properties. A handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel and also boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives. It's also a potent antioxidant and skin-brightening agentso it often shows up in anti-aging and/or radiance-boosting products. 2022 Cond Nast. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning its the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product. retailers. Another thing Caffeine is used for in body care products is its anti-cellulite effects. It's a popular duo. :) You are almost done: please check your mailbox to confirm your email! If there is anything I want in life, it is radiant glowing skin! In a 2001 worldwide study with 178 people with known sensitization to fragrances citronellol tested positive in 5.6% of the cases. If you are someone who likes to know what you put on your face then fragrance is not your best friend - there's no way to know whats really in it. Good old water, aka H2O. All prices shown on this website are in ($USD) American dollars. It's one of the EU 26 fragrances that has to be labelled separately because ofallergen potential. The unsaturated (with double bonds) and hence less stable version ofSqualane is Squalene, youcan read about it here >>. MakeupAlley is a registered trademark of MUA, Inc. For a few times it works great, but then my skin had a horrible reaction to the cream. It can be naturally found in geranium oil (about 30%) or rose oil (about 25%). Most often it's used to create liposomes and to coat and stabilizeother ingredients. A real oldie but a goodie. There is also in-vitro data showing that it converts to AA in the skin. It can also be a solvent and canfight against microbes and insects very well. Third,ATIP seems to have all three magic abilitiesof pure vitamin C: it gives antioxidant protection from both UVB and UVA rays, it increases collagen synthesis (even more than AA) and it has askin brightening effect by reducing melanogenesis by more than 80% in human melanoma cell cultures. User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and olive), and in the sebum (the oily stuff our skin produces) of the human skin. As for turmeric and skincare, we have good news: studies show that the root extract and its main biologically active component, curcumin can do multiple good things for the skin. Bottom line: Licorice is a great skincare ingredient with significant depigmenting, anti-inflammatory and even some antioxidant properties. alcohol. A super common multitasker ingredient that gives your skin a nice soft feel (emollient) and gives body to creams. Waxy, white, solid stuff that helps water and oil to mix together and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. A stable, oil-soluble form of Vitamin C, that might have (in-vitro results) all the magic abilities of pure vitamin C (antioxidant, collagen booster, skin brightener). Like other plant oils, it contains antioxidant vitaminE and nourishing fatty acids (mostly oleic acid 54-74%, linoleic acid 12-35%). A fatty (the good, non-drying kind of)alcohol that makes your skin feel smooth and nice (emollient), helps to thicken up products and also helps water and oil to blend (emulsifier). Its a so-called fatty alcohol, a mix of cetyl and stearyl alcohol, other two emollient fatty alcohols. Similar to many other emollient plant oils, it contains several skin-goodies: nourishing and moisturizing fatty acids (oleic acid: 40%, linoleic acid: 30%, linolenic acid:1-2%), antioxidant vitamin E, emollient sterols and potent antioxidant gamma-oryzanol. A bio-selectivesubstrate that's claimed to protect and stimulate the beneficialmicrobial skin flora without doing the same withpathogens and undesirable flora. Used alone, it can make the formula sticky and it is a good team player so it is usually combined with other thickeners and so-calledrheology modifiers (helper ingredients that adjust the flow and thus the feel of the formula). Apricot Kernel Oil - a nice general purpose emollient plant oil with vitamin E and fatty acids (mostly oleic acid 54-74%, linoleic acid 12-35%). One of the EU 26 fragrances that has to be labelled separately because ofallergen potential. It is also soothing and rich in antioxidants. puts it in his awesome blog post, squalane's main things are"emolliency, surface occlusion, and TEWL prevention all with extreme cosmetic elegance". So I was psyched when I got to test this eye mask from Aveda a few weeks ago. Its pretty much the current IT-preservative. Hello, our favorite molecule that helps us wake up in the morning and then keeps us going through the day. All in all, limonene has some pros and cons, but - especially if your skin is sensitive -the cons probably outweigh the pros. As for skincare, it makes the skin silky smooth, creates a subtle gloss and forms a protective barrier (aka occlusive). It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10). Citric acid comes from citrus fruits and is an AHA. The reason we list it as icky is because Farnesol is one of the EU 26 fragrances that has to be labeled separately (and cannot be simply included in the term fragrance/perfume on the label) because of allergen potential, so it is best avoided if you have super sensitive skin. Ended up using it again a few weeks later and same thing happened (thought it Disappointment is an understatement. Allure may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with It is usually used as a helper ingredient to adjust the pH of the formula. Thats why a product containing linalool that has been opened for several months is more likely to be allergenic than a fresh one. The eye mask is really smoothing. Limonene's nr1 function is definitely being a fragrance component, but there are several studies showing that it's also a penetration enhancer, mainly for oil-loving components. Thats some claim! As cosmetic chemist kindofstephenwrites on reddit "sodium hyaluronate disassociates into hyaluronic acid molecule and a sodium atom in solution". There is another algae extract from another manufacturer that comes from red algae (much more common, about 40% of total macroalgae worldwide) and is claimed to have not only moisturizing but also skin smoothing and densifying effects. Exactly what it sounds: nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. We have to admit thatAlgae Extract is not our favorite ingredient name. In addition, the extent to which it can prevent muscles from contracting (and to smooth wrinkles) is very different (otherwise why would anyone use still Botox?). Might be helpful for dark circles, puffy eyes, as well as cellulite and hair loss. But it's not only a simple emollient, it regenerates and soothes the skin,protects it from external factors (such as UV rays or wind) and is also rich in antioxidants (among others vitamin A, E, F, quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate). Can be derived from coconut or palm kernel oil. Geraniol is a common fragrance ingredient. A common fragrance ingredient that has a faint sweet balsamic smell. Depending on your hair type, it can bea bit difficult to wash out and might cause some build-up (btw, this is not true to all silicones, only the non-volatile types). The official descriptionin the Europiean Cosmetic Ingredientlisting is this: "an extract of various species of Algae; Extract of the Seaweed, Fucus vesiculosus, Furaceae". It also gives a "pleasing product aesthetics", so no wonder it's popular. But here again, the evidence that it actually makes a measurable, let alone visible, improvement on actualhuman beings is limited (we could find only some animal skin studies or caffeine being combined with other actives). A very common silicone that gives both skin and hair a silky smooth feel. Just like other similar fragrance ingredients (like linalool and limonene) geraniol also oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic. Its mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water. It leaves a nice non-greasy, non-heavy feeling on the skin. (We also checkedProspector for sodium hyaluronate versions actually used in cosmetic products and found that the most common molecular weight was 1.5-1.8 million Da that absolutely counts as high molecular weight). The topical application (meaning when you put it on your face) of 0.5% glabridin was shown to inhibit UVB caused pigmentation of guinea pigs. Its not something new to put it on our face: even Cleopatra used it to preserve her skin. A study made in the UK with 483 people tested the allergic reaction to 3% oxidised linalool and 2.3% had positive test results. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Comes from coconut oil and glycerin, its light-textured, clear, odorless and non-greasy. We have found some recent and promising research to back this up. Citronellol is a very common fragrance ingredient with a nice rose-like odor. It is a polymer (created from repeating subunits) molecule and has different molecular weight and thus different viscosity versions from water-light to thickliquid. It can also be a solvent and canfight against microbes and insects very well. A common fragrance ingredient that smells like lemon. With a sweet, light and floral scent, Farnesol is a popular fragrancing ingredient to make your cosmetics that bit nicer to use. Its a handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel. But according to a comparative study done in 1995, citric acid has less skin improving magic properties than glycolic or lactic acid. A very common water-loving surfactant and emulsifier that helps to keep water and oil mixed nicelytogether. It comes from the seeds of African Shea or KariteTreesand used as a magic moisturizer and emollient. Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. This means,Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 does have some ability to smooth wrinkles (but not as well as Botox - sorry, if we sound like a broken record). It also occurs naturally in our body and is used as a food additive. It's the chemically chopped up version of normal lecithin. I got a small burn from it. We do a Best of INCIDecoder email once a month with the most interesting products and ingredients we bump into. Also, works well to fill in fine lines and wrinkles and give skin a plump look (of course that is only temporary, but still, it'snice). As for hair care, it is a non-volatile silicone meaning that it stays on the hair rather than evaporates from it andsmoothes the hairlike no other thing. So citric acid is an exfoliant, that can - just like other AHAs - gently lift off the dead skin cells of your skin and make it more smooth and fresh. We are massive vitamin C fans and have written about it inexcruciating detail. $86.00 Free Shipping We have also browsed through Prospector to see what manufacturers sayabout their algae. A Spanish University also did some research and found thatArgireline increased the level of skin moisturization and decreased both the depth and width of wrinkles "significantly". A natural emulsifier that helps oiland water to nicely mix together. Normal (well kind of - it's purified and deionized) water. So this one is the famous peptidethat's marketed by its manufacturer as the "Botox in a jar". Fatty alcohols have a long oil-soluble (and thus emollient) tailpart that makes them absolutelynon-drying and non-irritating and are totally ok for the skin. It can be produced from most vegetable oils (in oils three fattyacidmolecules are attached to glycerin instead of just one like here) in a pretty simple, "green" process that is similar to soap making. First, it is stable (if pH < 5), easy to formulate and a joy to work with for a cosmetic chemist. Argireline - famous peptide that's often referred to as "Botox in a jar". The most probable scenario for the Alge Extract is that it works as a moisturizer and emollient and it mighthave some additional anti-aging properties. What research does confirm is that it contains amino acids and organic acids thats helpful for the skins acid mantle. A little goes a long way. These were just three random examples from three manufacturers all called Algae extract even though they all come from different algae with different claims. Even though some of its effects are more hyped up than backed up, it is still a nice tohave on many ingredient lists. Not greasy, nice smell, doesn't make my sensitive skin react. The TL; DR version of HA is that it's a huge polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) found in the skin that acts as a sponge helping the skin to hold onto water, being plump and elastic. There is also an enzyme (called shikimate dehydrigenase) in the pulp thats shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. With a sweet, light and floral scent, Farnesol is a popular fragrancing ingredient to make your cosmetics that bit nicer to use. It's often paired with glyceryl stearate- the twotogether forma super effective emulsifier duo that's salt and acid tolerant and works over a wide pH range. Its the - sodium form - cousin of the famous NMF,hyaluronic acid(HA). There is just one catch regarding glabridin and licorice: the amount of glabridin in commercial licorice extracts can vary a lot. Cucumber is a nice, non-irritating plant extract thats known for its soothing and emollient properties. Probably thats why citric acid is usually not used as an exfoliant but more as a helper ingredient in small amounts to adjust the pH of a formulation. By the next morning, it had smoothed the fine lines I've started to notice recently. Also, if your skin is sensitive, fragrance is again not your best friend. Fragrance in the US and parfum in the EU is a generic term on the ingredient list that is made up of 30 to 50 chemicals on average (but it can have as much as 200 components!). Be happy if it's on the ingredient list. We could find Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate mentioned only in one publishedin-vivo study that examined the anti-aging properties of a silicone formula containing 10% AA and 7% ATIP. Linalool is a super common fragrance ingredient. It can bind huge amounts of water and it's pretty much the current IT-moisturizer. Skincare Its the number one cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. TheAveda Tulasara Wedding Masque Overnight is 48 for 50ml and the Eye masque is 38 for 15ml. A natural emulsifier that helps oiland water to nicely mix together. In theory, it can speed up the lipolysis process (the "fat burning" by our cells) andstimulate the draining lymph system that might lead to the improvement of cellulite. It has nice antioxidant properties and can improve the microcirculation. The theory is that it can inhibitthe activity of the 5--reductase enzyme that plays an important role in hair lossand allows a renewed growth phase of the hair. Its kind of everywhere - both in plants and in cosmetic products. However, it is hard to know how much pure vitamin C or ATIP can be thanked. Also, we have to agree with TruthInAging, that it's not a collagen builder and not a preventer of structural aging (think vitamin C, AHAs or retinol); it's just a quick fix. So now, you know that Vitamin C is great and all, but it's really unstable and gives cosmetics companies many headaches. Best to avoid if your skin is sensitive. It alsostimulates the antimicrobial peptide release by keratinocytes (skin cells). It's claimed to be a bio-selectivesubstrate that protects and stimulates the beneficialmicrobial skin flora without doing the same withpathogens and undesirable flora. In general algae extracts serve as moisturizing, emollient and thickening agents, and many of them also have additional anti-aging properties. A natural corn sugar derived glycol. 2 magic property is that licorice is a potent anti-inflammatory. There weren't any selfies or duck lips (just dinosaurs), but I had my own weird photo quirk. Also used for scar treatment. If your eyes are prone to puffiness and mine definitely are it's probably a good idea to avoid using thick formulas in excess. Glabridin has also some soothing properties but the main active anti-inflammatory component is glycyrrhizin. The blend of these two (caprylyl glycol + phenoxyethanol) is called Optiphen, which not only helps to keep your cosmetics free from nasty things for a long time but also gives a good feel to the finished product. Another study even suggested that licorice is more effective than the gold standard skin-lightening agent hydroquinone. So this all sounds really great, but these are only in-vitro results at this point. An AHA that comes from citrus fruits. If the product is too runny, a little xanthan gum will make it more gel-like. At the same time, it also boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives, such as the nowadays super commonly used phenoxyethanol. The point is, my under-eyes have always bugged me. I should have known better. The oil coming from the bran of rice. About 25% of the goopy stuff between our skin cells consists of cholesterol. It's also a traditional herbal medicine used inAyurveda for its bunch of anti-something magic abilities including being anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic. Anyhow, the point is this;there are tons of different types of Algae Extracts out there. It makes your skin feel nice and smooth (emollient), gives body to cream type products and helps to stabilize water and oilmixes (aka emulsions). The most active part is called glabridin. Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Seed Butter, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis (St. Paul'S Wort) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Molasses Extract\Saccharum Officinarum\Extrait De Mlasse, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract\Extrait D'Orge, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Read all the geeky details about Glycerin here >>, simple brownalgaeextract that helps to smooth the hair, another algae extract from another manufacturer that comes from red algae, Read all the geeky details about Salicylic Acid here >>, Read all the geeky details about Tocopherol here >>, A natural moisturizer thats also in our skin, A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years, Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier, Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits at higher concentrations up to 20-40% (around 10% is a good usability-effectiveness sweet spot), High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin, It's one of the gold standard ingredients for treating problem skin, It can exfoliate skin both on the surface and in the pores, It's more effective for treating blackheads than acne, For acne combine it with antibacterial agents like benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid, Primary fat-soluble antioxidant in our skin, Significant photoprotection against UVB rays, Vit C + Vit E work in synergy and provide great photoprotection, Easy to formulate, stable and relatively inexpensive.