Ah, propylene glycol. The silent hero of the cosmetics world, whispering sweet nothings to our dehydrated skin cells, making sure our mascara doesn’t look like a raccoon had a fight with a sprinkler system. This unassuming little compound is so omnipresent that it’s basically the Kevin Bacon of skincare. The cosmetics industry loves it. The skincare community pretends to understand it. And you? You’re probably slathering it on your face right now without even knowing it. Let’s take a moment to appreciate this tiny, unassuming molecular underdog. What Even Is Propylene Glycol? Picture a scientific lab, all bubbling beakers and slightly neurotic
Category: Cosmetic Ingredients
Water in Cosmetics: The Truth Behind the World’s Most Basic Ingredient
Gather ‘round, beauty junkies, because today we’re talking about the unsung hero of cosmetics: water. That’s right, H2-freaking-O. You may think, “It’s just water, why are we having this conversation?” But oh, sweet summer child, water is the backbone of your skincare. It’s the Taylor Swift of ingredients, always there, always flawless, but never quite getting enough attention (okay, so maaaaybe Taylor Swift gets plenty of attention). Now, let’s dive into the tea (or, should I say, the water) on what it’s doing in your products and whether that’s good, bad, or ugly. Why Is There So Much Damn Water in My
Cosmetic Ingredient: Cyclopentasiloxane
Cyclopentasiloxane? Sounds like a mouthful! Does it go by any other name? Yes! It is also referred to as decamethylcyclopentisiloxane. I bet you thought it’d be something simpler, eh? Never fear, it is also abbreviated to the humble “D5” thankfully. Cycloblaaaaaah–What is it? Cyclopentasiloxane is yet another version of silicone you can find floating around in skincare and haircare products and is part of the broader cyclomethicone category. Its main purposes are as an emollient, lubricant and a solvent. But what’s the main point of it being in skincare? Unfortunately, cyclopentasiloxane doesn’t have much benefit when it comes to the
Cosmetic Ingredient: Cyclomethicone
Cyclomethicone is a common ingredient in the beauty industry. The products you can find it in run the gamut of deodorant and antiperspirants to sunscreens, hair care products, moisturizer, perfume and more. Let’s get into it! What is it? Cyclomethicone embodies both multiple and/or individual cyclic siloxane materials. It is derived from both silicon and oxygen. This ingredient is in the form of a clear liquid. It contains no alcohol and has no smell. Why is it in my beauty products? One of the benefits of cyclomethicone is its ability to provide a smooth texture that glides on skin in
Cosmetic Ingredient: Zinc Oxide
You know what? I was supposed to post this in the summer, but I took too long trying to write this post. However, I think it’s quite serendipitous really, because zinc oxide is used in sunscreen. What better way to remind you all that you should keep slathering on the sun protectants even as we are going into the colder months? Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean the sun can’t damage your perfect, beautiful skin! So, tell us, what IS Zinc Oxide? You know that mineral found in nature called zincite? Yes? No? Either way, you derive zinc from it,
Cosmetic Ingredient: Castor Oil
Castor oil. It’s a pretty common ingredient when you read the labels of your bath and beauty products. It’s a vegetable oil that comes from the castor bean which kind of blew my mind because who would’ve thought it came from a bean. Obviously, I’m easily shocked and awed. What’s it Made Of? Castor oil, or Ricinus communis if we are using Latin names, is a fixed oil. It is comprised mostly of fatty oils. Its structure is made up of roughly 90% ricinoleaic acid with small amounts of oleic acid and linoleic acid thrown in. This allows it to be both hydrophilic and
Cosmetic Ingredient: Avobenzone
We are smack dab in the middle of summer and the heat may or may not be frying your absolute brains out. What’s important to remember while the sun is shining it’s brightest is to apply your sunscreen! And one of the most popular active ingredients in sunscreen is avobenzone. Not to sound too scientific (I’m about to go geek-tastic on you), avobenzone is a synthetic dibenzoylmethane derivative. It can also be known as butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane or Parsol 1789. If you, like me, just had your head explode trying to read out those chemicals, let me simplify it. Avobenzone is
Cosmetic Ingredient – Cetyl Alcohol
Cetyl Alcohol is a bit misleading. You hear the term “alcohol” and have instant visions of stripped skin and hellacious dryness. No worries here though, cetyl alcohol is not in the same family as those alcohols. You see, those alcohols are related to ethanol. Cetyl alcohol is related to plant oils. Big difference, right? Therefore, products can be sold as “alcohol-free” while containing cetyl alcohol. Confused? Don’t be. Just know that having cetyl alcohol in your makeup and skincare is most likely fine. The thing is though is that cetyl alcohol does come from several different sources. It can be one