Spa Girl thinks about Humectants…

Emollients, humectants, detergents, colourants, fragrance, preservatives, parabens, lanolin, talc, do you know what’s in your skin cream?

I attempt to use primarily organic skin care products and have done so for several years now. Cleansing the skin of chemically based products can take several weeks, but you will see a visible difference in your skin once you go green!

Truly organic formulations will contain plant-based oils, waxes, essentials oils and nothing more. Water is the main ingredient found in most skin care products, but water based products do require preservatives.

Skin creams are designed to keep your skin moist; therefore they must have humectants properties. So what are humectants? Collagen, elastin and keratin usually sourced from animals are widely used humectants that help draw and hold onto moisture. Glycerin and lecithin on the other hand are natural plant based humectants. Glycerin is a by product of the soap-making process and lecithin is a natural phospholipids. These natural phospholipids don’t built up on the skin and allow it to breathe. There are synthetic humectants, such as propylene glycol, but they can cause skin irritation.

The skin is a complicated structure with many functions, knowing its composition and knowing your skin care products is essential in taking care of your skin.

Check out this site for some great information.

http://dermatology.about.com/od/glossaryh/g/humectant.htm