In search of the perfect cream

The first long-acting moisturizer appeared in 1911, and anti-wrinkle — only in 1970. Then scientists found out that the cause of skin aging is the lack of collagen, on the basis of which they began to create various care products. However, the formula of the ideal cream has not been developed, which makes today a million women in an active search. Yulia Gagarina, a biochemist-technologist of cosmetic production, shared in an interview what criteria should be followed when choosing this cosmetic product.

Preservatives: aggressive and not so aggressive

— Yulia Vladimirovna, why does cosmetics cause allergies?
— It's not about cosmetics, but about the components included in it: 19% of all cases of allergies are caused by preservatives, in 15.2% — elements of hair dyes (especially those that give dark shades) and in 7.8% components of fragrances (or perfumes).
Since some ladies use dark hair dye only occasionally, it is worth dwelling on those products that we have to use daily.

People with particularly sensitive facial skin can protect themselves even at the stage of buying a cream, because manufacturers are required to indicate the presence of allergens, dyes and fragrances on the label. It is not difficult to read the label yourself, just remember that the ingredients are listed in order of reduction.

Components, the dosage of which is less than 1%, can be put in any order, which is sometimes done by marketers, "bringing" the most melodious. For a consumer who is far from chemical processes, the boundary dose of a fragrance should become a kind of marker, which should not be more than 0.2% in indelible cosmetics (serums, creams, etc.). maybe more.

You may be interested in:Allergy to cosmetics and how to deal with it

— Do preservatives have to be included?
— Yes, they guarantee a long shelf life and the only place where they are not observed is in products that are completely composed of oils. Basically, we have to deal with water-based cosmetics. And in water, as you know, biochemical processes are constantly taking place.

Preservatives, preserving the primary qualities of water, protect the product from the growth of microorganisms that can cause unwanted responses from our body.
Conventionally, preservatives can be divided into three groups: soft, which are widely used in organic cosmetics, with a low and high degree of allergy .

— If there are safe preservatives, why use aggressive ones?
— Safe preservatives are effective only in an acidic environment and do not like at all if there is a lot of protein in the system, without which it is impossible to imagine any anti-aging cream. As for the aggressive ones, everything is not so simple as it might seem at first glance.

Have you ever noticed with what admiration women choose cosmetics that contain whole pieces of plants? For many it is — indicator of the naturalness of the product. But often they are not treated with formaldehyde, a preservative that preserves the properties of cosmetics well, but at the same time is a strong carcinogen.

In 1987, scientists proved that formaldehyde provokes the appearance of nasopharyngeal cancer, and a little later it became known that this preservative also causes lung cancer — and they refused it. In vain! Doctors' warnings are valid only in relation to those who breathe its fumes constantly, that is, people employed in its production.

But consumers are not included in the risk group. And the maximum that formaldehyde can be dangerous for the layman is — skin irritation. However, those who are prone to various dermatitis, buying a new remedy, should not be lazy to study its components. Perhaps among them is bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol or 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol), another aggressive preservative that should be parted immediately.

It is important to remember: Hair dye - harm and benefit

Components: harmful and harmless

— Often on the cream you can read: "Without parabens." Why are they dangerous?
— This group of preservatives has been the subject of controversy for several years now. The beginning was laid by the English scientist Philippa Darbe, who was engaged in research on breast cancer.

She studied the link between antiperspirants containing parabens and breast cancer. She and her colleagues were led to this idea by the fact that in 60% of the cases analyzed, the tumors in the upper square, closer to the armpits, contained parabens.

After that, a lot of research was carried out, but none of them confirmed the theory put forward. Moreover, Philippa later admitted that her research was not complete enough and was of a preliminary nature.

Long-chain parabens, which are at high risk, have not been used in the cosmetics industry for a long time.

And short chain — harmless in the doses in which they are used, which was confirmed by the European Commission in 2011. Moreover, paraben itself — natural product. Its acid can be found in lingonberries. So the additive codes E-216 and E-218, which can be seen on the labels of pharmaceutical products, we have been quietly consuming internally for 25—30 years.

Besides, do not forget that chemistry is moving forward. Yesterday, everyone knew that such an active ingredient as sodium lauryl sulfate (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is very toxic and can cause severe irritation, up to hair loss.

Chemists have developed a new detergent component — Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which also lathers well, rinses off easily, and is safer for both skin and hair. It is he, and not his predecessor, that is used today in the cosmetic industry. As you can see, the difference in one letter radically changes the whole essence.

This is important to know:Harmful cosmetics: top 15 ingredients under the cap

Emulsions: direct and reverse

— The basis of any cream is an emulsion. Does its density matter?
— The main task of the emulsion — "pack" the system of oil with water and bring their active ingredients to the lower layers of the skin. If the system is liquid, as, for example, in body milk, then the transfer of active ingredients will come more quickly than with a thick cream.
Each emulsion — and there are four main types— there are active components of oil and water.

Depending on the type of emulsion, either the former or the latter will penetrate the skin better. So, direct emulsions, which are the basis of many cosmetic products, are indicated on the labels with the letters o / w (“oil-in-water”) and are oil dispersed in water in the form of tiny droplets.

Such emulsions are perceived by the skin as light. Creams are quickly absorbed, when using them, the skin does not appear greasy, but the protective function in such emulsions is weak.

Inverse emulsion — "water-in-oil" — is rich in oil and is mainly used for the production of oily creams intended for evening skin care. It promotes deep penetration of active substances into skin cells and protects it from dehydration.

These emulsions are suitable for dehydrated, dry or sensitive skin. But they can not be used for facial acne. It should also be remembered that they are absorbed longer and seem unnecessarily greasy.
In them, the inner droplets contain even smaller ones and consist of at least three phases — water/oil/water. Such emulsions are very pleasant and easily recognizable: at first, the cream spreads easily on the skin, and then it seems to stop its movement. Such emulsions allow you to achieve the effect of the two previous ones at once, — while protecting the skin, they easily nourish it at the same time.

Multiple emulsion have a high cosmetic appeal and caring effect. However, it is not suitable for mature skin.

How to choose a beautician?

Liquid crystal emulsion in their structure they resemble a pie, where each layer of water is combined with a layer of oil, creating a single large layer. And so that it does not fall apart, it is "flashed" with lipids.

This emulsion is especially interesting, as it restores the protective layer of the skin. However, its production requires special equipment, which is far from always available for small industries.

But no matter how good the emulsion is, its actions, and, therefore, the effect directly depends on the "habitat". Unfortunately, we have erased such a thing as relative humidity. Both our homes and offices often resemble the small Sahara desert in terms of humidity.

Imagine what happens if a woman, working in an office overheated by a heating system and office equipment, decides to pamper her hands with a cream with glycerin?

Yes, glycerin works great, but only when paired with water. And, if it does not receive moisture from the outside, it will pull from the inside, that is, from the epidermis. And instead of the desired feeling of moisturizing, after a while there will be a feeling of dry hands, which will make the woman take up the cream again.

The trouble is not that she will use it several times in a short time, but that glycerin, without receiving moisture, will not contribute to skin rejuvenation, but to her… aging. This behavior is typical for many components. So it’s not enough to choose good cosmetics, you also need to create the conditions in which it can function properly.

Important to know:

What should be the care of oily skin

Care products: expensive and not so expensive

—At what time of day is the cream most effective?

— At any! It acts constantly, just the purpose of day and night cream is different. The first protects the skin from the negative effects of the environment, and the second helps to restore it after a hard day.

— There is an opinion that the cream should be changed every three months, because the skin stops responding to it. Is this true?

— Partly true, but the point here is not at all addictive. There is simply no universal cosmetic product: each performs its own function — one regenerates the skin, but does not nourish, the second — nourishes, but does not smooth out wrinkles, etc. That is, any cosmetic product is effective only when it performs its task.

But as soon as new unknowns appear, other means should be called in to help.

— Often women are not limited to one face cream and resort to other means. Can putting them on top of each other cause allergies?

— If the means of one "line" are used, then this probability is equal to zero. The technologists developing them initially take into account that the compositions do not oppose each other. But, if cosmetics of different companies are chosen, then here, as they say, options are possible.

— Does it matter at what expiration date to buy cosmetics?

— Of course, it is preferable to buy the one that just hit the counter. After all, it keeps the active components at their maximum performance.

If you buy a cream literally before its expiration date, it will not hurt, but it will not bring any benefit — its active components will already be "drowsy" and are unlikely to be able to "wake up" your body. It's like buying apples in the spring that have lain all winter. They may retain their taste, but vitamins — no.

— For many women, when buying cosmetics, the determining factor is the price. The higher it is, the better the product. Is it so?

— Alas, the formula of any cream is always about the same. But the price is determined by transportation costs, the number of marketing and advertising campaigns carried out.

In a word, you pay for the brand. Is it worth it? Here everyone decides for himself.

I can only say one thing: many Hollywood stars have long discovered inexpensive care products that are not inferior to the most expensive in their qualities.