Ingredients dictionary

Antioxidants protect the skin and the formula itself from oxidative damage. In skincare, antioxidants serve a dual purpose

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Antioxidants protect the skin and the formula itself from oxidative damage. In skincare, antioxidants serve a dual purpose:

1. For the skin: They neutralize free radicals caused by UV exposure and pollution, helping to prevent premature aging, dullness, and support skin health.
2. For the formula: They stabilize other ingredients (like oils and active compounds) by preventing them from breaking down and oxidizing, thereby maintaining the product’s potency, color, and scent over time.

• Aqua

Astringent ingredients produce a temporary tightening or toning sensation on the skin by causing a mild contraction of the skin’s proteins. This function can help refine the appearance of pores and reduce excess surface oil, providing a smooth, mattified finish. It is important to note that astringents should be used appropriately for skin type to avoid over-drying.

Buffering ingredients or a system of ingredients are used to adjust and stabilize the pH level of a product. Buffering agents help maintain the product within an optimal, skin- and formula-friendly pH range, ensuring both the comfort of the skin upon application and the stability and effectiveness of the active ingredients in the formula.

• A simple pH regulator (like citric acid or sodium hydroxide) is used to set the initial pH.
• A buffering agent (like a citrate or phosphate buffer system) is a specialized type of pH regulator designed to actively resist changes to that pH, maintaining stability against external factors like minor contamination or ingredient degradation over time.

Chelating agents bind to and deactivate metal ions (like calcium and iron) in water or within a formula. This prevents these minerals from destabilizing the product, causing discoloration, or reducing the efficacy of other ingredients. This helps improve the formula’s overall stability, appearance, and shelf life.

Emollients soften, smooth, and condition the skin’s surface by filling in the gaps between skin cells. Emollients improve the skin’s texture and flexibility, creating a smooth, supple feel and helping to reinforce the skin’s natural barrier.

Many emollients, especially oils and butters, also act as occlusives. This is because their chemical structure allows them to form a protective, hydrophobic (water-repelling) film on the skin’s surface. This dual action softens the skin and helps prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL), making them key for both immediate comfort and long-term hydration.

Emulsifying ingredients allow two normally immiscible substances—typically oil and water—to combine into a stable, uniform mixture (an emulsion). Emulsifiers work by reducing surface tension, preventing the phases from separating. They are fundamental to the texture, stability, and performance of many skincare products, like lotions and creams.

Many ingredients serve a dual purpose. A single molecule can act as both an emulsifier (by creating the initial blend) and a stabilizer (by reinforcing the droplet structure and preventing coalescence). Furthermore, specialized stabilizers are often used in conjunction with primary emulsifiers to enhance a formula’s resilience against temperature changes, pH shifts, and time. This synergy is crucial for creating a product that is not only well-mixed but also remains consistently effective and pleasant to use throughout its shelf life.

Emulsion stabilising ingredients help maintain the long-term stability and uniform texture of an emulsion (a mixture of oil and water). While emulsifiers are responsible for the initial blend, stabilizers work to prevent the mixture from separating or changing consistency over time, ensuring the product’s performance and aesthetic qualities remain intact from first use to last.

Many ingredients serve a dual purpose. A single molecule can act as both a stabilizer (by reinforcing the droplet structure and preventing coalescence) and an emulsifier (by creating the initial blend for the emulsion). Furthermore, specialized stabilizers are often used in conjunction with primary emulsifiers to enhance a formula’s resilience against temperature changes, pH shifts, and time. This synergy is crucial for creating a product that is not only well-mixed but also remains consistently effective and pleasant to use throughout its shelf life.

Fragrance is an ingredient (or blend of ingredients) added to a formula primarily to provide a specific scent. In skincare, fragrances can be derived from natural essential oils or created synthetically. While they enhance the sensory experience, it is important to note that fragrance components are a common cause of skin sensitivity or allergic reactions for some individuals.

At Lumessentials, we formulate for skin health first. We use only minimal, skin-safe natural fragrance components where absolutely necessary for product integrity.

An ingredient that creates a semi-solid, cohesive network within a liquid, giving the formula a distinct gel-like texture and structure. This function provides unique sensory properties, such as a smooth, non-greasy application and a fresh, lightweight feel, while also helping to stabilize and suspend other ingredients within the formula.

Many gel-forming agents are also powerful viscosity controllers. This is because the process of creating a gel network inherently increases a liquid’s thickness and resistance to flow.

• A viscosity controller might simply thicken a liquid.
• A gel-forming agent creates a structured, semi-solid network that results in a specific type of high viscosity with unique, non-dripping, and often cushiony properties.

Therefore, gel formation is a specialized subset of viscosity control that delivers a distinct textural result. A single ingredient, like xanthan gum or carbomer, can perform both functions simultaneously.

Humectants attract and bind moisture from the air and from the deeper layers of the skin, drawing it to the skin’s surface. Humectants work by increasing the water content of the top layer of the skin (the stratum corneum), resulting in improved hydration, a plumped appearance, and a softer feel.

Occlusives form a protective, hydrophobic (water-repelling) layer on the skin’s surface. This physical barrier primarily functions to slow down transepidermal water loss (TEWL), helping to seal in hydration and support the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Common occlusives include waxes, certain oils, and silicones.

Most occlusives are also classified as emollients. This is because the same oils, waxes, and lipids that create a protective barrier also possess the ability to fill in microscopic cracks between skin cells. Therefore, a single ingredient often performs the dual function of sealing in moisture (occlusion) while simultaneously smoothing and softening the skin’s texture (emollience).

An ingredient or system that establishes, adjusts, and maintains a product’s acidity or alkalinity (pH) to an optimal, stable level. This function ensures two key things:

• Formula stability and efficacy: The chemical environment is correct for the stability and intended function of the active ingredients.

• Skin compatibility: The product’s pH is optimized to be non-irritating and supportive of the skin’s natural acid mantle.

• A simple pH regulator (like citric acid or sodium hydroxide) is used to set the initial pH.
• A buffering agent (like a citrate or phosphate buffer system) is a specialized type of pH regulator designed to actively resist changes to that pH, maintaining stability against external factors like minor contamination or ingredient degradation over time.
  In practice, a formulator often uses a buffer system to both regulate and maintain the target pH, making these terms functionally intertwined.

Preservatives prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms (like bacteria, mold, and yeast) in a product. This function is critical for ensuring the product remains safe, stable, and effective throughout its shelf life and during consumer use, protecting both the integrity of the formula and the health of the skin.

Preservatives are primarily essential in formulas that contain water (Aqua ). Water is a fundamental requirement for microbial growth. Therefore, anhydrous (water-free) products, such as pure oils, balms, or powders, typically do not require traditional preservatives. Oils and oil blends typically contain an antioxidant (Tocopherol) that prevents oils from going rancid.

A formulator’s decision to include a preservative is a direct and responsible response to a product’s composition, prioritizing consumer safety above all.

Skin conditioning ingredients are a broad functional category that improves the overall appearance, texture, and feel of the skin by enhancing its suppleness, smoothness, and softness. Unlike ingredients that target a specific cellular function, skin conditioners work primarily on the surface and upper layers to deliver immediate sensory benefits and improve skin comfort.

Skin conditioning is often the result achieved by other, more specific functional ingredients. For example:

• Humectants condition the skin by attracting and binding moisture, which directly improves hydration and plumpness.
• Emollients condition the skin by smoothing and softening the surface, filling in microscopic cracks.

Therefore, a single ingredient (like glycerin or squalane) can be accurately described as both a humectant and a skin conditioner, or an emollient and a skin conditioner, as these functions are complementary and interdependent in achieving the final sensory and visual benefit.

Solvents are typically liquids used to dissolve or uniformly disperse other substances within a formula. Solvents are fundamental to the creation process, as they ensure the even distribution and stability of active compounds, oils, waxes, and preservatives, ultimately determining the product’s consistency and enabling effective delivery of ingredients to the skin.

Before you read on, take a guess: what’s the single most commont solvent in skincare? 💧 (Yes, it’s probably what you’re thinking)

Surfactants lower the surface tension between two substances, such as oil and water. The specific function of a surfactant depends on its molecular structure and application:

• Cleansing surfactant: Primarily used in rinse-off products like cleansers and shampoos. These molecules have one end that binds to oil and dirt and another that binds to water, allowing them to lift impurities from the skin or hair so they can be washed away with water.
• Emulsifying surfactant: Primarily used in leave-on products like lotions and creams. These molecules stabilize mixtures of oil and water by forming a protective layer around tiny droplets of one phase, suspending it evenly throughout the other to create a uniform, stable, and non-separating emulsion.

While some surfactants can perform both roles, their concentration and formulation context determine their primary function in a product.

Viscosity controlling ingredients are used to modify the thickness, flow, and overall texture of a formula. This function allows formulators to create a product with precise sensory characteristics—from a thin, watery serum to a rich, luxurious cream—while also ensuring the formula remains stable and easy to dispense and apply.

Many viscosity controllers are also gel-forming agents. This is because the process of creating a gel network inherently increases a liquid’s thickness and resistance to flow.

• A viscosity controller might simply thicken a liquid.
• A gel-forming agent creates a structured, semi-solid network that results in a specific type of high viscosity with unique, non-dripping, and often cushiony properties.

Therefore, gel formation is a specialized subset of viscosity control that delivers a distinct textural result. A single ingredient, like xanthan gum or carbomer, can perform both functions simultaneously.