In our time, there is an incredible amount of various cosmetic creams. Some of their manufacturers promise instant hydration, others – saturation of the skin with useful substances and guaranteed rejuvenation, third – lifting effect, and so on.
Unfortunately, not all modern cosmetic creams have a good evidence base regarding their effectiveness. That is why the doctor must understand what the properties of a cosmetic cream depend on, where there is a good effective component, and where – good marketing ploy.
This article on estet-portal.com presents a modern classification of cosmetic creams, their structural principles and main ingredients, as well as indications for their use.
What is a cosmetic cream: structural principles
Cosmetic cream is an emulsion that consists of two liquid phases of different density, which is why they do not mix with each other. Liquid phases can be represented as "oil in water" when the emulsifier is an emulsion wax, or as "water in oil" when the emulsifier is pentol.
Cosmetic cream is an emulsion that consists of two liquid phases of different density, which is why they do not mix with each other.
As «butter» the fatty base acts, on the characteristics of which the effectiveness and quality of the cream depend to the greatest extent. The higher the content of fatty acids in it, the more valuable the oil base of the cream is.
What determines the quality of the fat base of a cosmetic cream
The fat base of the cream may contain vegetable and animal fats. Quality vegetable fats should be 45-55% saturated fatty acids.
The quality of animal fats, unlike vegetable fats, is determined by the amount of unsaturated fatty acids. Their largest amount is found in the fats of marine animals. It is the presence of fats of vegetable and animal origin in the composition of esters that makes them compatible with skin oils.
There are many varieties of creams, which is determined by their composition and purpose. The following groups of cosmetic creams should be distinguished:
Creams for oily skin
: these products are oil-in-water emulsions; (liquid emulsion creams);2.
Creams for dry skin
are water-in-oil emulsions; (fatty creams);3. Cleansing creams
: can be used for make-up removal in case of intolerance to other cleansing cosmetics;4. Hydrating
(moisturizing) creams: contain hydroactive substances that prevent dehydration of the skin. This ability is of great importance for the prevention of aging processes. Over time, this effect weakens, and it becomes necessary to apply cosmetic cream more often;5. Nutritious creams
: contain a variety of biologically active substances: vitamins, enzymes, etc. To date, there is no consensus regarding their effectiveness, since the effect of biologically active substances on the skin has not yet been proven;6. Hormonal creams
– contain estrogen and progesterone. The local effect of hormones contributes to the inhibition of the function of the sebaceous glands of the skin. The use of hormonal creams is not recommended under the age of 30. In addition, in our time there is no convincing evidence base regarding the effectiveness and safety of the use of hormonal creams.There are also creams designed to protect the skin from the adverse effects of the external environment. Read more about them later in the article.
See also: Active ingredients in cosmetics: can they penetrate the skin
Depending on the functional purpose, protective cosmetic creams are divided into several types. The following should be highlighted:
1.Light protection creams
: due to their components (zinc oxide, salol, tannin, esters of para-aminobenzoic, salicylic acids), they have a photoprotective effect. Applying the product to the skin helps to reflect or absorb ultraviolet rays;Follow us on
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Chemical skin protection creams: contain hydrocarbons and silicone oils that are water repellent. This helps to protect the skin from aqueous solutions of detergents. There are also creams that protect the skin from the harmful effects of organic solvents through a film-forming process; 3. Creams that protect the skin from mechanical stress
: have a water-repellent or water-absorbing (powder) effect, have a superficial softening effect on the skin.Despite all the above favorable properties of creams, it is worth considering the existence of the problem of permeability of the skin barrier. If the skin is intact, then only small fat-soluble substances can pass through it.
Large molecules (e.g. peptides) when applied externally to intact epithelium do not penetrate the skin barrier.That is why the use of cosmetics containing large molecules (peptides, for example) is advisable only if the skin is damaged (the presence of microtraumas, skin diseases). At the same time, today there is no consensus on the mechanism of influence and effectiveness of such cosmetic creams, this issue requires additional research.
Thank you for staying with estet-portal.com. Read other interesting articles in the "Cosmetology" section. You might also be interested in: Delicate but effective: how to care for skin with rosacea on the face.
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