To break the dryness cycle moisturizers, historically, all use the same basic technology. Professional skin care lines rely on a mix of ingredients categorized as “occlusives”, which form a barrier on the skin to slow down the evaporation of water, which act as moisture magnets, and emollients, which add lubrication and fill empty spaces on the surface (to make it look smoother). By covering it and maintaining hydration, these compounds give the skin the chance to step up lipid production and regain equilibrium. The skin is in a constant process of renewal, and so are skin creams, it seems.

The latest intensive moisturizers draw their strength from a host of key ingredients, both new and remakes – “smooths skin”, “diminishes wrinkles” are claims people have heard ad copy infinitum. A more novel promise being made today is one of 24-hour moisture.

Serious skin care formula claims may be relatively new, but these products’ ingredients are actually sophisticated renditions of old standbys – chief among them petrolatum, or petroleum jelly, patented back in 1878.

Put petroleum on the skin, and you’ll hydrate the daylights out of it. The problem is the aesthetics are terrible. Because no one wants to spend the day covered in thick, greasy jelly, the 24-hour products capitalize on newer, lighter formulations. Chemists have encapsulated liquefied petroleum jelly in microscopic spheres that release their contents when applied to skin, reducing the product’s tackiness.

At the same time, they’ve combined petrolatum with two other common moisturizer ingredients, glycerol (The FedEx of the cosmetics world, prized for the speed at which its molecules travel into the skin’s top layer) and silicone. Glycerol, also knows as glycerine, attracts water to make skin appear fuller. Two months ago, the Journal of Investigative Dermatology reported new research suggesting that it also facilitates the growth cycle of skin cells, helping to maintain the skin’s protective barrier; in related studies conducted on mice, it improved the symptoms of dry, thick skin. Silicone fills the empty spaces between skin cells where lipids have been lost and seals in moisture. The result is the attractive sheen and silky touch associated with a healthy complexion. Silicone gives a nice, velvety feel.

Dermatologists question whether these products can go the whole 24 hours, simply because the average person engages in activity after activity – wearing clothes, hugging, scratching an arm – that rubs off lotion. Still, the trio of petrolatum (an occlusive), silicone (an emollient), and glycerol (a humectant) is a bit like Charlie’s Angels. Each works well on its own, but they may not be effective, synergistically trying to attend to different symptoms of dry skin.

Breaking the scene are organic beauty products and natural skin care products. Botanical skin care products, such as those available at www.ihdistribution.com use proprietary key anti-aging elements:

1. Amarense Bark Extract
2. Lecithin
3. Ternifolia Seed Oil
4. Moluccana Nut Oil
5. Grape Seed Extract
6. Echinacea Purpurea
7. Vitamins A, D. B, and C
8. Aloe Vera
9. Japanese Green Tea Extract

These products are the “new wave” in moisturizers often competing with more expensive, painful, and time consuming Botox injections, and even cosmetic surgery. Proven results include:

1. 287% increase in glycosaminoglycans
2. 117% increase in Collagen, type I
3. 327% increase in Collagen, type IV
4. After six months use, the surface area occupied by deep wrinkles can be reduced 68% and mean wrinkle density improved

Insulating Skin

Besides longer protection, natural skin care moisturizers are increasingly offering stronger protection – providing a physical barrier that insulates skin from the elements and enables it to weather climatic extremes. A few years ago, researchers were intrigued to learn that Arizonans’ skin showed higher levels of hydration than New Yorkers’ despite a much drier climate. “People’s skin in Arizona has adapted to the constant low humidity and, as a result, has developed a stronger stratum corneum that’s able to defend itself, almost like the leaves on a cactus”, an industry’s vice president of research and development said. Because New Yorkers are exposed to shifting humidity – from 90% outdoors in summer to as low as 20% indoors in winter – their skin is constantly struggling to adjust.

To address the issue of environmental fluctuations, scientists turned to phytantriol, a vitamin B5, derivative that is usually put in shampoos and conditioners, where it has been proven to protect hair from the heat of blow-dryers. When applied to the skin, it created a semi-permeable film to help retain water in low humidity and act as a buffer against high humidity. In company tests, volunteers who applied Hydra Complete Multi-Level cream and lotion for the face daily for one week showed a 95% increase in their skin’s water content immediately after application, and their skin remained 40% more hydrated than that of nonusers 24 hours later.

IH Distribution LLC, who brought you this article, has a full line of professional skin care products for serious skin care issues: all products (including anti-aging products) can be purchased with a 30 day money-back guarantee

www.ihdistribution.com

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