Exploring the Benefits Of New Ingredients For Today’s Common Skincare Challenges

One of the biggest trends in professional skincare today at dermatology offices, salons, spas and medical centers is how to determine and use the most effective ingredients to combat particular skincare challenges. While some are lucky enough to have perfect skin, most people require help from various skincare products to combat problems such as skin dehydration, fine lines and wrinkles, blemishes and acne, as well as redness and discoloration. Four of the most common skin problems can be solved by specific ingredients found in many innovative skincare solutions.

Skin Dehydration

One of the most common skincare challenges people face is a lack of proper hydration. Dry skin is deficient in the fatty substance in the epidermis. Specifically, the hydrolipidic film, the layer on the skin surface consisting of sebum, sweat and water, lacks moisture. In order to restore moisture to the skin, ingredients such as Osmyhydran™ can be applied to the skin. Osmyhydran is a special compound of marine origin. Used properly on a daily basis, it deeply penetrates the skin to provide intense moisture. Osmyhydran can be combined with PA Reviviscence, a resurrection plant which softens and protects the skin. According to Erika Mangrum, managing director of U.S. business development at IntuiSkin, a producer of skincare products containing ingredients such as Osmyhydran and PA Reviviscence, “Resurrection plant extracts make excellent additions to professional skincare products because these extracts, like the plants themselves, can withstand extreme conditions such as harsh wind, extreme heat and cold. They are also very respected as natural products, which today’s consumers really appreciate.” Together, Osmyhydran and PA Reviviscence have the ability to protect the skin against dehydration as they also soften the appearance of wrinkles on the surface of the skin.

Fine Lines & Wrinkles

Another major skincare problem for many people, especially those with aging skin, is the proliferation of fine lines and wrinkles. Fine lines appear in the most delicate areas of the face and they account for the some of the first unwanted visible signs of aging. In order to keep wrinkles at bay and to maintain a more youthful appearance, many may opt for a number of different treatments. One of the most well-known solutions for fine lines is Botox. Botox, however, is invasive as it requires injections. For those who want a more natural approach to fine line and wrinkle correction, a number of special external ingredients and treatments are available today. For example, Syn-ake is a new active ingredient that acts similar to Botox, but it is applied directly and topically to the skin, rather than injected. Argireline is another ingredient similar to Botox. These special ingredients help to visibly improve the skin’s surface texture by filling and reducing fine lines, as well as by plumping and re-densifying the skin. Kollaren also helps reduce fine lines by stimulating collagen, fibronectin, laminin and elastin regeneration. Matrixyl 300 re-thickens the skin and helps maintain skin elasticity. Another ingredient that helps fight fine lines is vitamin C, which contributes to collagen synthesis.

Blemishes & Acne

For those with younger skin, hydration, fine lines and wrinkles are not always a problem. Instead, younger skin can be inflamed with clogged pores, causing comedones and micro-cysts to appear. Comedones are more commonly known as blackheads; micro-cysts, small sacs of liquid located under the skin, appear when excessive amounts of sebum are secreted onto the outer layer of the skin. Fortunately, for those with these skin blemishes, there are new ingredients and professional skincare products on the market to combat these problems. Hydroxydecanoic acid, naturally found in royal jelly, reduces the secretion of sebum, as well as the number of sebaceous glands. It also has anti-bacterial properties to reduce breakout-causing germs. Grapefruit extracts and Vedacalm are also anti-septic and anti-inflammatory agents that help stop bacteria growth. Other important new ingredients such as Genisteine help regulate hormones by working on the skin topically as opposed to the need to take or inject anything internally. By helping regulate hormones, Genisteine helps control the excessive sebum production that can lead to blemishes and acne. Another option for blemish and acne-prone skin is a mattifying oil control cream, which effectively absorbs sebum while leaving the face not only with fewer bacteria, but also aesthetically shine-free.

Redness & Other Discolorations

Many people also have trouble with very sensitive skin, which may turn red and irritate easily in the sun or be affected by wind, excessive heat or cold. Others suffer from dark or irregular pigmentation in the skin due to photo-aging, pregnancy or chemical irritants such as perfume. Components such as glycerrhetinic acid and Boswellia extract fight inflammation as it appears. Azelaic acid also serves as an anti-inflammatory and additionally blocks tissue oxidization. Vitamin C, previously mentioned as an ingredient to fight fine lines and wrinkles, also has anti-inflammatory properties to fight skin redness. Further, vitamin C combined with Glabridine actively fights against the transformation of tyrosine to DOPA, which causes dark, abnormal discoloration of the skin. Melanostatin and arbutin, combined with vitamin C, acts against cellular mechanisms where this dark discoloration of the skin begins. Using these types of combinations of ingredients is imperative to effective skin care. According to Mangrum, “Many professional skincare lines today have one or two ingredients or develop an entire skincare system centered on a single ingredient; however, some of the most effective skincare lines focus solely on the skincare issue. These lines have combinations of clinically proven ingredients that focus on the skin problem instead of on one single ingredient thought to solve one single skincare issue.”

It is time to really look closely at the newest options, ingredients and the latest state-of-the-art solutions to common skincare problems.

Marie Finnegan is a marketing associate at marketing solutions, a full-service marketing, advertising and PR agency specializing in the professional beauty business.

Erika Mangrum is a respected spa industry entrepreneur, consultant, author and educator. Mangrum is managing director of business development, USA at IntuiSkin, a subsidiary of MEMSCAP with headquarters in Durham, N.C. She also serves as chairman of the board of Iatria Spa and Health Center, the Raleigh-based, medically orientated spa she founded in 1999.

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