Ingredient notebook
Glycerin: the quiet workhorse in a hydrating formula
Glycerin rarely gets the dramatic packaging reserved for a fashionable serum, yet it appears in many well-designed moisturizers.
25 articles
Ingredient notebook
Understand the ingredients behind the label, one useful question at a time.
Ingredient notebook
Hyaluronic acid: hydration without the serum hype
Hyaluronic acid in a topical product is used primarily for hydration and surface feel.
Ingredient notebook
Ceramides: what a barrier-focused moisturizer can offer
Ceramides are among the lipids found in the outer skin barrier, alongside cholesterol and fatty acids.
Ingredient notebook
Petrolatum: when a small amount is more useful than a full-face layer
Petrolatum, often called petroleum jelly, forms a protective layer that helps reduce moisture loss.
Ingredient notebook
Squalane and squalene: similar names, different shopping decisions
Squalane and squalene are easy to confuse on a product label.
Ingredient notebook
Niacinamide: choosing usefulness over the highest percentage
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 used in many topical formulas.
Ingredient notebook
Retinol, retinal and prescription retinoids: labels that need context
Retinoids are vitamin A-related ingredients and medicines, not one interchangeable substance.
Ingredient notebook
Vitamin C products: stability, comfort and realistic expectations
Vitamin C is used in cosmetic formulas intended to address visible aging and uneven tone.
Ingredient notebook
Glycolic acid: why percentage alone does not describe an exfoliant
Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid used in exfoliating products.
Ingredient notebook
Lactic acid: hydration claims and exfoliation can coexist
Lactic acid belongs to the alpha hydroxy acid family and appears in products designed for smoothing as well as in moisturizing formulas.
Ingredient notebook
Salicylic acid: select a purpose before adding another bottle
Salicylic acid appears in products with very different purposes, from facial treatments to preparations for thickened skin.
Ingredient notebook
Urea: a moisturizer ingredient that changes with concentration
Urea is present in skin's natural moisturizing factors and is also used in topical products.
Ingredient notebook
Panthenol: a supporting ingredient, not a universal rescue treatment
Panthenol is a vitamin B5-related ingredient found in many moisturizing and soothing-positioned products.
Ingredient notebook
Dimethicone: the slip ingredient behind many comfortable creams
Dimethicone is a silicone used to give cosmetic formulas smoothness and, in some products, a protective film.
Ingredient notebook
Mineral oil: separating a moisturizer ingredient from a marketing story
Mineral oil is used as an emollient and occlusive ingredient in skin-care products.
Ingredient notebook
Shea butter: rich texture without a natural-equals-gentle assumption
Shea butter adds richness and emollient feel to many balms and creams.
Ingredient notebook
Facial oils: an emollient option, not a replacement for water
Oil can make a surface feel smooth without supplying the water-rich phase found in a lotion or cream.
Ingredient notebook
Fragrance-free and unscented: two labels worth distinguishing
Fragrance-free generally indicates that a product is made without ingredients added for fragrance, while unscented may describe an absence of noticeable smell.
Ingredient notebook
Preservatives: why a water-based moisturizer needs protection
Water-based cosmetics create conditions in which microorganisms can grow if the formulation is not adequately protected.
Ingredient notebook
Fatty alcohols: why alcohol on a label does not always mean drying
Alcohol is a broad chemical category, so the word alone is not enough to predict what a cosmetic does.
Ingredient notebook
Peptides: interpreting a promising ingredient without buying a miracle
Peptides are small chains of amino acids, and cosmetic products may contain many different types.
Ingredient notebook
Colloidal oatmeal: a soothing label still needs a careful formula
Colloidal oatmeal is finely processed oatmeal used in certain skin products, including soothing and protective formulas.
Ingredient notebook
Botanical extracts: how to read a long natural ingredient story
Botanical extracts can supply scent, color, texture or other functions in cosmetics.
Ingredient notebook
Ingredient percentages: when a bigger number is the wrong shortcut
Percentages are convenient shopping signals because they make unlike products seem measurable on one scale.
Ingredient notebook
Cholesterol and fatty acids: the less glamorous barrier ingredients
Cholesterol and fatty acids are among the lipids associated with the outer skin barrier.