Journal

Intelligent skincare is a multi-part series that aims to spread awareness about the very basics and fundamentals of skincare.  Lesson 1 talks about the purpose of different skincare products to help you choose the right kind of cleanser, exfoliator, cream, etc. In this part, we help you understand what skincare products are made up of.

by Priyanka Bhandari

Lesson 2a: Know what your product contains

Per law, "all" ingredients must be listed on the product packaging. In the full ingredient list, they must be listed in order of concentration, starting with the highest to the lowest & at the end, those in the concentration of less than 1% can be bunched up together.  However, we often focus just on the key ingredients mentioned in the front. The front label will tell you only what the (M)admen want you to know and dream about.  Do not get swayed by the 'key ingredients' list. 

Instead, find out the full ingredient list and analyze it. If the full list is not there on the product label, check the outer carton or website. When you see the full list make sure the product contains a meaningful amount of actives, less base, and bare minimum additives, and that too only the safe and non-carcinogenic ones. If you are not familiar with any ingredients, do your research on the world wide web. We have listed all our ingredients in the Ingredients library. 

Below are quick definitions of three key categories of skincare ingredients to help you understand the composition of a skincare product better.

#1 Base - Act as the carrier and deliver the actives to the right location. In most cases, bases form more than 85% of the product. Example of base - Water (Aqua), base oils such as castor oil, safflower oil, almond oil, coconut oil, or a mix of oil & water. 

#2 Additives - These skincare ingredients make the products stable, increase the shelf life, and at times also make them more attractive., Examples of additives - emulsifiers, surfactants, artificial fragrance, color, texture modifiers, and preservatives.

#3 Actives - These are the desirable skincare ingredients that you want in your skincare & are highlighted by marketers. Examples of actives - retinol, hyaluronic acid, vitamins, copper peptide, floral waters. Ideally, they should be 10-15% of the product, but, in most cases, they are not even 2%. Make sure your products have a meaningful concentration of active ingredients. 

Also, like the rest of the body, the skin needs multiple nutrients or active skincare ingredients. Look for products that provide a (w)holistic or balanced diet to your skin. And when in doubt ask the brand.

Lesson 2b: One natural ingredient doesn't make the entire product natural

A common tactic used by marketing geniuses is to focus on and publicize only the natural skincare ingredients in the entire product, which are not even 2% of the product. As an intelligent skincare user, you should look at the full ingredient list and then decide whether the product is natural enough or not. I would recommend that you look for products where at least 90% are natural skincare ingredients (subtle self-praise: Aminu products on average contain 96% natural)

Invest a little bit of time understanding their skin needs, researching the products before you start using them. It is worth the time because once you find the right product and brand, it will serve you for a long time. In case you have questions about Aminu's products or you want to understand your skin better and get a personalized regime, please do reach out to Aminu's team of skin aestheticians via chat or social media.

Find out how you can tell whether skincare is working for you or not in Lesson 3 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this journal are those of the authors and are for information purposes only and not medical advice. Further, they do not reflect the opinions or views of Aminu Wellness Pvt Ltd or any of its directors. Any content provided by the author(s) are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone, or anything.