Do you ever read the labels on your skincare and cosmetic products?
Have you ever wondered what goes into them and why they have a certain texture, smell and feel? If you continue buying cosmetic products that don’t give you the desired results, you might think that there’s something wrong with the products.
Well, guess what? In most situations, there is nothing wrong with the cosmetic products but they might just not be right for your skin type.
The formulations of those cosmetic products may not give you the results you are looking for. And, that’s why it’s important to study the ingredients carefully and read every label. I have spent a good amount of time studying the various ingredients that brands today put in their products and the results they have.
I know you’re going to say “So what”? We don’t have to read the label to understand whether a product will work for us or not. If you have dry skin, I am sure you can figure out over time when a product doesn’t give you enough hydration. And if you have oily skin, then you know well which cosmetic products make your skin greasier and provide more than needed hydration. But there are two main reasons why you should start reading labels on your cosmetic products,
- To understand what you’re putting on your skin
- To layer different cosmetic products effectively on top of each other and optimize their results
That is why makeup is an art. Because we don’t just blindly layer cosmetic products on top of each other. We need to really know what kind of primer goes well with what kind of foundation, concealer and so on. If you really want smooth and long lasting results, then it’s important to know your product’s ingredients and how they will work.
Usually, we only need to look at the first 4-5 ingredients to understand the formulation of our skincare and cosmetic products. In most situations, those are the key ingredients in defining the composition of the products. So, I have curated a list of the top 10 most commonly found ingredients in our skincare and makeup products, and their properties.
1. Water
This is usually the first ingredient in most cosmetic products like foundations. It can also be listed as Aqua or Hydra. It’s usually used as a solvent to dissolve other ingredients and give the cosmetic products a liquid consistency so that they can easily spread on the skin. If you have an oily skin, then a water-based moisturizer or serum would work best for you as part of your skincare routine because all water-based cosmetic products provide light hydration and don’t make the skin oily or greasy.
2. Glycerin and Glycol
These are humectants, meaning they provide great hydration and lock in moisture. They generally are the key ingredients in hydrating skincare cosmetic products so they’re great for those with dry skin. They also help slow down the evaporation of water from the skin, which can help keep the skin moist and hydrated for a longer duration. So they’re best to use in winters.
If you have dry or dehydrated skin, or even combination skin with dry areas, then a skincare product with Glycerin or Glycol as one of the first 3-4 ingredients would be a great source of moisturization.
3. Hyaluronic acid
This also provides good hydration and is found in many moisturizers, serums and primers. It’s also great to improve skin elasticity and make the skin flexible. It doesn’t have a greasy texture like glycerin but provides a lighter hydration, where Glycerin provides a heavier hydration. So, for all those with oily skin, this ingredient would work great.
4. Paraffinum Liquidum and Cera Alba
This ingredient is wax based and is derived from petroleum. Since it is derived from a mineral based oil, it provides heavy hydration. It makes the skin smooth and soft, but it doesn’t get absorbed in the skin. It protects the skin from dehydration. So, if you come across any product with this ingredient in the first 4-5 on the list, then you should know that the product will provide intense hydration and will work best on dry skin.
Cera Alba is also a wax based ingredient but it is derived from beeswax. This ingredient is also intensely hydrating, just like Paraffinum Liquidum. So any product with this as the key ingredient will also work best on dry skin. Another benefit of this ingredient in skincare cosmetic products is that it forms a protective barrier against all external elements so it essentially protects the skin from dirt, pollution etc.
5. PEG/PPG
This ingredient is an emulsifier, meaning it is mainly used to mix different types of ingredients together. Some ingredients like Silicone are hydrophobic so they don’t mix with water. But with the help of an emulsifier, such hydrophobic ingredients can be effectively mixed with water. So, in our silicone based foundations you will likely find this ingredient that is working to mix silicone with water. That is the only function of this ingredient.
6. Polymers
This is one of the most important ingredients and it’s mainly used as a film-former. That means it creates a plastic layer wherever it is applied and prevents the product from moving too much. It is widely used in hair sprays. Most common polymers are Copolymer and PVP. Because of their film forming ability, they are very good to provide a long lasting and transfer-proof finish. They are widely found in makeup fixing sprays. So, if your makeup fixing spray has this ingredient as one of the top 5 then you should know that the spray will provide excellent transfer-proof and long lasting results.
7. Isododecane
This ingredient is usually found in foundation mixers like Inglot Duraline to make the makeup long lasting and waterproof. That is why this ingredient is mainly used in waterproof mascaras or long lasting liquid lipsticks. It is also used in some makeup setting sprays to fix the makeup and make it stay in place. So, if you see this ingredient listed among the top 4-5 in the list, you should know that the product will provide longevity to your makeup. So, when you’re looking for a longer lasting makeup product, you should find one with this as one of the key ingredients.
8. Talc
This ingredient is derived from sand and is used to absorb excess oil on the skin, prevent caking, and give a blurry effect. That is why this ingredient is mainly used in makeup setting powders.
9. Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
This ingredient has the same function as Mica, i.e. to increase sparkle or shine of the finished cosmetics. You will mainly find this ingredient in blushes, eyeshadows and highlighters. So if any of your product has this as one of the ingredients, then know that the product will provide a more shiny, dewy effect versus matte.
10. Silicones
There are multiple functions that Silicones serve in our cosmetic products. One of their main functions is to absorb excess oil to leave a matte finish. Also, it sits on the skin and doesn’t get absorbed so it creates a barrier on the skin and prevents moisture from evaporating from the skin. That is why many primers today have silicone because it’s best to prep the skin and absorb excess moisture before layering cosmetic products
Another function of silicones is to smoothen the surface, which is what creates a blurry effect on the skin. There are mainly two types of silicones found in most cosmetic products – Dimethicone and Cyclopentasiloxane. So, if your cosmetic products have any one of these as the key ingredient, then you should know that it is a silicone based product and will serve all the functions mentioned above.
There are many more ingredients that cosmetic products today contain but these 10 are the most used ones. I hope this can be a helpful guide for you in understanding the top ingredients of our favorite cosmetic products. Leave in your comments if you have more insights to share! 🙂
If you’re interested in learning more about skincare and makeup, you can find more blogs here.
