What's In Our Skincare: The Full Guide
Here at BYBI Beauty, we're proud of the fact that we're 100% natural, vegan and cruelty-free – but even with natural ingredients, reading labels can still be confusing at times. With the latin names and all, you may be wondering what these ingredients are and, more importantly, what good it might even do for your skin.
As consumers ourselves, we know that feeling all too well – so it's a good thing we asked beauty influencer Farwa, of @scienceandskincare fame, to clear up some of these mysteries with her biochemistry knowledge.
Read on to find out the top 6 skin-transforming ingredients in our skincare, and how they work!
{ What's In: Detox Dust }
Activated charcoal
Purity, that is the only word to describe charcoal in any of its uses. From toothpaste to skincare charcoal is used because it has an ability to draw out the unwanted particles, dirt, from your pores.
Activated charcoal has been treated to give it lots of holes, giving it a larger surface area. This is how it can absorb all the excess rubbish from your pores because there is lots of space for the absorbed material to go. The dirt becomes attached to the charcoal using dispersion force, a weak, temporary, attractive intermolecular force. This dirt can then be washed away leaving you with more clear skin to be treated with hydrating products.
Papaya enzyme
Papaya enzyme is just that – a proteolytic enzyme that comes from a papaya fruit. In its essence a proteolytic enzyme is a class of enzymes that function to breakdown or hydrolyze protein.
In skincare these proteins can be present in the extracellular matrix of the skin as adhesion molecules. They bind and affix cells in the outermost layer of the skin, including stuff we don’t want there and this can cause breakouts. When you apply a proteolytic enzyme to these proteins the enzymes can break down those proteins, effectively preventing the build-up of dirt so that the skin can be properly exfoliated.
Papin is the proteolytic enzyme that comes from the papaya fruit and is a great natural way to include such useful enzymes, especially for those of you who have big pores and/or suffer from pesky blackheads frequently.
{ What's In: Supercharge Serum }
Watermelon seed oil
This precious oil is extracted after cold pressing sun-dried watermelon seeds! A complex and difficult process but it is well worth the time because it is full of nutrients that work wonders for your skin including:
Vitamin A Vitamin B Vitamin E Minerals (magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, potassium, phosorous) Linoleic acid Oleic acid Palmitic acid Stearic acid
The list shows a whole host of useful omega fatty acids such as linoleic and palmitic acid. Omega fatty acids should be an important part of your skincare regiment because they hold incredible skincare benefits.
They are the building blocks of your skin’s surface. Linoleic acid is omega six essential fatty acid, it can reinforce and smooth the skin’s surface by permeating the outer layer of skin, which it does easily. This affinity for skin makes it easier for other important ingredients to penetrate the skin and make the product especially useful.
On top of this the presence of Linoleic acid means the viscosity of the product is lower. Hence, the product is less likely to clog your pores, it increases hydration without feeling heavy.
Prickly pear seed oil
Also dubbed ‘the secret to radiant skin’ this oil is considered to be the holy grail oil for all things natural. Apart of the cactus family the oil is extremely tedious to extract.
In skincare its main functionalities include moisturizing (and in doing so soften fine lines), calm inflammation, restore elasticity and stimulate new cell growth. It is superbly rich in vitamins E and K. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, whose photoprotection helps to defend against sun damage, preventing dark spots.
Vitamin E is normally produced by the body through sebum, oil that is produced via skin pores. So, for those of you with dry skin Vitamin E may help balance the lack of sebum being produced. Vitamin K is also an antioxidant but also helps with discolouration and bruising. It can help tackle dark circles by strengthening the blood vessel to prevent any breakage or damage.
Prickly pear seed oil also has a high percentage of linoleic acid, which as stated above, is amazing for nourishing and repairing the skin.
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{ What's In: Mega Mist }
Hyaluronic acid
For some people the term ‘acid’ may come with some cautionary thoughts, but hyaluronic acid is a very special case, not only because it is not an exfoliating acid but because it is probably my most treasured ingredient for any skin type.
It is a hydrating God in the skincare world and is an absolute must for all skincare regimens. It is a glycosaminoglycan, a long unbranched polysaccharide, that is a fundamental part of youthful skin. It can keep skin stable and rejuvenated.
How? HA is a humectant. It holds A LOT of water; one gram of HA can hold six litres of water! And water is what keeps the youthful plumpness in our skin. In addition to this, hyaluronic acid regulates water content in cells because believe or not too much water is also bad for you – it maintains a useful balance of water content in cells.
As we age we lose the natural ability to preserve moisture and that results in the visible loss of firmness and plumpness. This is where the moisture binding functionalities of hyaluronic acid comes in to play. Topical application of HA can shield against free radicals, smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, give you a radiant complexion and is suitable for all skin types!
Algae extract
Algae is a great natural ingredient for combating signs of premature aging down to its antioxidant properties that help to combat free radicals that are triggered by the sun and damage your cells.
It can combat this because of a pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll helps to change light into energy for photosynthesis to occur in plants, including algae. In skincare it helps to reduce free radical damage to give skin a younger and healthier look. It also contains vitamins A, C, E, and K to restore your skin’s natural glow.
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