Author Archives: hopandcotton

The Making of A Moisturiser

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Moisturisation is achieved through humectants and emollients.

Thus, they play a big role in how well moisturisers perform.

 

Types of humectants and emollients

Humectants attracts water; emollients reduce water loss. The figure below illustrates some examples.

How do we pick which (and how much) to use from so many choices? For humectants, it mostly comes down to compatibility with other ingredients in the formula, but emollient selection requires more consideration.

 

A balancing act

Oily skin is naturally high in sebum, so don’t need much more oil in their products. Dry skin lacks oil, thus benefits from a good amount of emollient.

Besides skin type, other conditions (e.g acne or dermatitis) also need to be deliberated. This ensures that the moisturiser hydrates sufficiently without exacerbating blemishes or causing reactivity.

 

Other factors affecting moisturising efficiency

In addition to the moisturiser itself, external factors also affect skin’s water content.

    • Humidity

Low air humidity (e.g. climatic or heater/air-conditioning) encourages moisture evaporation from skin.

    • Skin barrier integrity

Someone with compromised barrier (e.g. eczema or over-exfoliated) experiences water loss easily.

 

The All-in-One

As you can see, no single best moisturiser exists, as the appropriately balanced oils and humectants is highly skin specific.

This is why custom formulating your moisturiser is so powerful. Your advanced face moisturiser ensures that you’ll be adequately hydrated, without contributing to congestion or breakouts. Other than getting the moisturising ingredients right, we also include all necessary actives at appropriate amounts to address all your other skin concerns. This makes it a super all-in-one product that treats and moisturises at the same time.

 

Thanks for coming along for part of the formulating process!

Beauty Breakdown – Moisturise

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Why is moisturising essential?

Because moisturisation increases water content, making it imperative for all skins types, even the oiliest.

Water and skin health

Skin is a protective barrier against water loss and harmful pathogens, through a film called the acid mantle.

The acid mantle is a mixture of our natural skin oils, sweat and natural moisturising factors (NMF; think of it as skin’s natural humectants) in water. Thus, water is crucial in maintaining the strength of the barrier to

  • keep unwanted microbes out by maintaining a slightly acidic pH of 4.5-5.5
  • minimise water loss/dryness
  • allow all skin functions to perform optimally including repair and shedding/renewal (desquamation)

Superficially, a lack of water translates to fine crepey lines, peeling skin, rough texture and dull or lacklustre skin tone . Not pretty.

How moisturisation is achieved

Since water is so important, it makes sense to retain as much of it as possible. This is where moisturisers come in. They contain ingredients that increase/maintain our skin’s water content.

Moisturisation is achieved in 2 ways

  1. Directly – increase water content of skin through humectants
  2. Indirectly – decrease water evaporation through oils/emollients

Effective, long-lasting hydration requires both modes of action. This is why oils alone cannot actually moisturise – they do not actively increase skin’s water content!

What are the best humectants and emollients to use in a moisturiser? That’s coming up next, so check back soon!

Exfoliation FAQs

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Today we’ll go through some commonly asked questions on chemical exfoliation.

Should I be using AHA or BHA?

Depends on your concerns. AHAs are better at eliminating dullness/hyperpigmentation; BHA is better at reducing congestion and blemishes. To target all of above, use a blend of both!

Which is the best type of AHA?

The best AHA is not the strongest one, but the one that works best for you. Glycolic acid, the smallest AHA, is the most penetrative/potent. Lactic acid, being bigger, is milder.

But formulation is just as important as the type of acid. Not all glycolic acid products are strong; not all lactic acid products are gentle.

Does a higher acid % mean a stronger product?

Product pH also strongly affects its potency. If a product is not within pH 3-4, it will not exfoliate. A 5% lactic acid at pH 3 is stronger than a 10% lactic acid product of pH 6. Due to the logarithmic nature of the pH scale, something at pH 3 is 10 times more acidic than another at pH 4.

I’m new to AHA/BHA. What acid % should I start with?

Start with 5% AHA or 0.5% BHA once every 2 nights. Gradually increase frequency if necessary. At the right frequency, your skin will look smooth, bright and hydrated. If you experience lasting discomfort, flakiness/peeling and redness, you have over-exfoliated. Go lower and slower!

Do acids ‘thin’ the skin?

No, because new skin cells are continually being formed at the base of our epidermis. Chemical exfoliants only remove the outermost epidermis layer – stratum corneum. With regular usage, glycolic acid has been shown to thicken both dermis and epidermis layers, boosting skin’s structural resilience.

Should I wait to apply a moisturiser after using a chemical exfoliant?

No. It takes a lot (of product or water) to change the pH of the chemical exfoliant significantly. So there is no need to wait in between product application – the pH of your chemical exfoliant will remain low enough to be an effective exfoliant even after another product is used on top of it.

The Making of An Exfoliant

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The multiple benefits of acids have made chemical exfoliants very popular.

What affects how well they perform? The type of acid? The concentration?

The answer is “Yes” to both of the above, but there is more to it.

 

Types of acids

There are 2 types of acids, AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids) and BHA (beta-hydroxy acid). Both exfoliate by loosening the skin layers, though each are better in different aspects.

AHAs (up to 15%)

    • water soluble
    • increase moisture levels in the skin as they are also humectants
    • suitable for all skin types especially dry; best for dullness, hyperpigmentation, evening out skin tone
    • smaller the molecular size, stronger the exfoliation

smallest = glycolic acid; largest = lactobionic acid

    • e.g. glycolic, lactic, malic, tartaric, mandelic, lactobionic acids

 

BHA (up to 2%)

  • oil-soluble; can enter pores removing clogs/sebum within
  • anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial
  • suitable for normal to oily skins; best for congestion/blemishes
  • only 1 BHA used in cosmetics – salicylic acid

Other considerations

The type and amount of acid are only half the story. There are other things that affect the exfoliant’s effectiveness.

  • pH of product
    Should be within pH 3 to 4. Any lower is too irritating; any higher makes the acid lose its exfoliating property.
  • Length of contact time
    Leave-on products give acids more time to work compared to masks or cleansers.
  • Accompanying irritants
    Low pH amplifies the irritancy potential of other irritants also present. Ingredients to avoid are alcohol, fragrance (including essential oils), imidazolidinyl urea and isothiazolinones.
  • Inherent skin condition of user
    The same product can feel/have different effects on different individuals. Someone with a thick outermost skin layer will be less sensitive to temporary tingling, redness or peeling.

 

The Perfect Exfoliant

There is a lot to think about when formulating a chemical exfoliant – too strong gives you uncomfortable side effects; and too mild wouldn’t deliver the benefits.

A successful formula delicately balances effectiveness and level of ‘irritation’ for your skin. You can hunt around for the right one, or let us custom formulate your perfect exfoliant for maximum performance minus any irritation.

Beauty Breakdown – Exfoliate

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Want to know the quickest way to better-looking skin?

Exfoliate!

 

What is exfoliation

Exfoliation removes the outermost skin layers – stratum corneum of the epidermis.

If left to accumulate, we experience dullness, flakiness, congestion and roughness. Removing them reveals fresh, unweathered skin beneath. That’s why freshly exfoliated skin always looks glowy, smooth and bright.

 

Ways to exfoliate

There are two ways to exfoliate

  1. Physical exfoliants that use particles (e.g. plant parts, beads, sugar, alumina crystals) that abrade
  2. Chemical exfoliants that use skin-compatible acids (e.g glycolic, lactic, salicylic acids) that loosen

Which is better?

To us, chemical exfoliators are the clear winners, but of course they need to be formulated and used appropriately.

Firstly, they are much gentler on skin as they will not create micro-cuts like physical ones can. They just need to be left on to loosen the skin cells, allowing the cells to come off easily without any force.

Other than the instant benefits of exfoliation, the skin-compatible acids in chemical exfoliators also offer long-term benefits like

  • Reduce hyperpigmentation (scars, sun or age spots)
  • Increase skin water levels
  • Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
  • Stimulate collagen production
  • Clear skin
  • Minimised pores

 

We’ve established the importance of exfoliation and why the non-abrasive (or chemical) option is the way to go. Let’s find out chemical exfoliants will work best for you. Check back soon!

Cleansing FAQs

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Today we’ll answer some frequently asked questions on cleansing. Let’s go!

 

Are all foaming cleansers drying?

Generally the higher its degree of foaming, the stronger the surfactant’s cleansing power. Thus, it is easy for foaming cleansers to be harsh due to their stronger cleansing ability. However, it is entirely possible to formulate a non-drying frothy cleanser if it has skin protective ingredients!

 

Are non-foaming cleansers better for sensitive skin?

Although non-foaming cleansers themselves are mild, many of them require hot water and cloth to be completely removed. Regular exposure to high water temperatures and abrasion (from cloth) is not ideal for any skin! Look for those that rinse off completely on their own.

 

Do I need a cleansing tool to keep skin clean and clear?

Cleansing tools are not essential for clear skin. With the right product and cleansing technique, you don’t need gadgets to achieve a really good clean. If your skin is reactive/sensitive or have active breakouts, it is best to avoid them as the vibration can irritate and worsen inflammation.

 

Do cleansers with more actives perform better?

Cleansers should clean effectively and quickly to minimise disruption of skin’s natural oils. If we leave a cleanser on the skin for extended times to allow the actives to work, we increase the chance of its surfactants disrupting our skin barrier. Actives are more beneficial in leave-on products instead.

 

Should I double-cleanse?

The more important question is are you cleansing your face properly? A full minute of thorough cleansing is usually enough for those wearing minimal to moderate amount of makeup daily. If you use quite a lot of waterproof products, you might need two.

Each time you cleanse, some of your natural oils also gets removed with the unwanted oils. So, make each cleanse count!

The Making of a Cleanser

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The purpose of a cleanser and how it works is rather simple. But formulating one is not.

It should be effective enough to remove all unwanted oil residues from skin, but not too effective that it removes too much of our skin’s natural oils.

Given the importance of surfactants in cleansers, it comes as no surprise that they greatly affect how cleansers perform.

 

Types of surfactants

There are many different types of surfactants, from very high foaming to none at all. Generally, the higher the degree of foaming, the stronger its cleansing power.

Robust foaming ones clean excellently but might strip skin oils excessively, while extremely mild surfactants may not be enough to adequately remove everything. These are the reasons why sulphate/soap-containing products can feel drying and balm/oil/cream cleansers leave a residue on skin respectively.

The image below lists some common ones used in cosmetics. Each type has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, making formulating a good cleanser rather complex.

Other considerations

Although surfactants are the key functional ingredients in cleansers, other factors also play a part in the overall formula.

Skin protective emollients and humectants counteract the stripping effects of surfactants, allowing a satisfying foamy wash without overstripping. Having a pH close to that of healthy skin (4.5-5.5) is also important in maintaining a strong and intact skin barrier.

 

The perfect cleanser

You can see now that the perfect cleanser combines the right amounts of surfactants with skin protective ingredients . The key is thus to find one with the best combination for your skin.

If you want to skip the trouble of searching for it, let us custom formulate your cleanser for you. This way, you can be sure that it is going to be perfect for your skin.

 

I hope this has given you some insight into the formulation behind a seemingly uncomplicated product!

Beauty Breakdown – Cleanse

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Cleansers exist in diverse forms – gels, creams, oils, balms and even waters.

Despite their apparent differences, have you ever wondered how they are able to do the same job?

Why use cleansers

Cleansing gets rid of oil residues (e.g. makeup, excess sebum, environmental pollutants, skin care products) from skin. As oil is not fully removable by water alone, we need cleansers because they contain surfactants (surface active agents), which

  1. lift off the unwanted oils
  2. remove them from skin surface

This is why pure oils alone (coconut, olive etc) cannot clean properly – while they can lift makeup off easily, they cannot be fully washed away from skin with only water.

So, how exactly do surfactants work?

The science of surfactants

Every surfactant molecule has a head that attracts water and a tail at the opposite end that attracts oil.

This allows them to

  1. Bind oil impurities on skin with their oil-attracting tails
  2. Move towards water particles (when water is added) due to their water-attracting heads, and finally
  3. Wash away, with the attached impurities, from skin surface

FUN FACT: When multiple surfactant molecules are present, they form circular structures called micelles, where all their water-attracting ends stick to one another. So actually, all cleansers contain micelles, they are not just in micellar waters!

Cleansers can come in any shape or form as long as they contain surfactants, which are essentially what removes the oil impurities from skin.

Want to know more about which surfactant cleanses better? We’ll be looking into the different types of surfactants next. Stay tuned!

When the best face oil is not enough

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Face oils are said to be the ultimate weapon against parched skin. Some also claim that a face oil is really all you need.

Is it really? And if so, how exactly does oil moisturise our skin?

2 ways of increasing skin moisture

Skin moisture is technically referring to its water content. It can be increased by 2 ways.

1. Directly by attracting water to the skin.

A group of ingredients called humectants (e.g. glycerin, hyaluronic acid) attract water to the skin by attracting water to itself.

2. Indirectly by preventing water loss.

Oils/butters/waxes occlude (or block) the skin in varying degrees, thus limiting evaporation or water loss from the skin.

Oils also have the ability to instantly improve the appearance of flaky dry skin. They do so by ‘gluing down’ bits of dry protruding skin. This is how lip balms get rid of the appearance of chapped lips immediately.

Dehydrated vs Dry

So how does oil help dehydrated or dry skin?

Dehydration is not actually a skin type but a condition that can occur with any skin type. If you are dehydrated, your skin lacks water. Applying oil will slow down your skin’s evaporation but not directly drawing water to your skin.

If you are dry (dry is a skin type), your skin lacks lipids/oils. Applying oil compensates for its lack of natural oils. However, very often, dry skins also suffer from dehydration. This is because with a lack of lipids, the rate of evaporation from your skin also increases, resulting in both dryness and dehydration.

The Oil-Water Balance

By now you’d have realised that our skin needs BOTH oil and water (or more accurately, humectants). It is not quite enough for your perfect moisturiser to just have these two components. It should also have the right balance of oils and humectants for your specific skin type and condition.

This balance is different for every individual. Are you extremely oily? You are most likely to do well with humectants and low (or no) oils. What if you are very dry yet breakout-prone? You’d need a moisturiser loaded with humectants and carefully selected oils with minimal occlusivity.

Want your perfectly balanced moisturiser? Just take the skin test to help us understand your skin and we’ll do the rest!

Why am I breaking out with my new products?

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After much research and consideration, you finally decide on trying out that new skincare routine. But one week later instead of having amazing skin, you find a lot more bumps starting to appear!

Is this normal? How long should I persist? Will the breakouts stop?

Before you go into panic mode and start to switch, let’s find out what is happening before deciding what to do.

 

Why am I breaking out more?

First of all, this is quite normal when you initially switch skincare products. It is commonly referred as ‘purging’ and happens when

  1. You start incorporating acids (AHAs, BHA) regularly in your routine
  2. There is congestion beneath your skin surface

AHAs and BHA are chemical exfoliants. They act on the outermost layer of our skin causing the skin cells to slough off, allowing the newer cells beneath to surface. This is how they facilitate skin renewal along with all the other benefits of chemical exfoliation. As the lower skin layers are now starting to surface at a much faster speed, all congestion or clogged sebum will be brought to the surface very quickly, and usually most of them at once. These blemishes are not caused by your new products, but rather, they are now being exposed and will be eliminated much faster.

 

How long will this last?

Since our outermost skin layer takes about 4 weeks to renew itself, the process can last anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, depending on how much congestion there is under the surface. Give your new routine at least a month before you dismiss it; don’t make it a habit of chopping and changing without giving products enough time to work properly, unless it is an allergic reaction! Once you push through this period, you should start to see fresh smooth skin.

 

How do I tell if I’m ‘purging’ or genuinely breaking out?

Purging commonly occurs when you start introducing ingredients that exfoliate (AHAs, BHA) or accelerate cell turnover (retinoids). If you have already been using these ingredients prior to your new products, it could also be that your new products may be more potent (i.e. having a lower pH of AHA/BHA or higher concentration) that further accelerates this process. These blemishes are usually non-inflammatory (i.e. not super red or painful) and appear in areas where you normally experience breakouts. They only take a couple of weeks to resolve.

However, you should also know the signs if you are actually reacting negatively to your new products. You will start to get blemishes in places where you don’t usually have them. They can be either raised flesh-coloured bumps or whiteheads if the new product is clogging your pores; or red/inflammed spots if the product is causing irritation in some way. They do not go away and but instead worsen with continued usage.

 

So the next time you try something new, you know whether your new products are working as intended or are actually making things worse for you!