Finding the Best Ingredients: The Process Unveiled
Why Natural Ingredients:
- November8, 2024 On my quest for a beautiful night cream, I came across one of my favorite sources of information. Dr Perricone makes products with, like my high-powered neighbors down the street who are so famous in China, Nuskin. These two companies have teams of scientists that generate “high end” products. Dr Perricone's products, such as the one I am investigating, sell their products for $185 for the night cream, perriconemd.com/essential-fx-acyl-glutathione-intensive-overnight-moisturizer/
- I am fascinated by the Acyl-Glutathione and what is vitamin f (in the title). (just FYI: Vitamin F is a term for two fats, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA), that are essential for survival. Scientists discovered these fats in the 1920s and mistook them for a vitamin, which is how they got the name vitamin F. )
- Tracking down the ingredient list for the night cream:
- Water/Aqua/Eau, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Myristyl Myristate, Niacinamide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Palmitoyl Glycine, S-Palmitoylglutathione, Ethylhexylglycerin, Myristyl Laurate, Ribose, Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance/Parfum, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool
- Begin by extracting some of the basic ingredients which I know about and am confident of:
- (Sometimes you have to look up the name listed and type: another name for. The listing is in INCI speak. The proper way to list ingredients is using the INCI name.) But if you research, you can find the proper name of things.
- Here are some of the key ingredients in the above ingredient list:
- Water, shea, niacinamide, stearic acid, lecithin, lactic acid macadamia, chia, sunflower, rosemary, lemon, flax, glutathione, glycerin, ribose, magnesium aspartate, zinc gluconate, copper gluconate, rosemary extract, sodium hydroxide.
- Sodium hydroxide is lye. I use it to make soap. There must be a plausible explanation for a scientist, but it will not find its way to myskin unless it is in my soap (which I don't enjoy making, so I make it for personal use and gifts to people I adore, basically, family).
- I have never heard of glutathione, so I have spent several days investigating the ins and outs of that, as it is a primary ingredient to distinguishing this night cream. I find that there is a really cool website that decodes ingredients in all manner of skincare products. It is called SkinSort. They have three products listed, all by Dr Perricone using the ingredient glutathione. The ingredient is a topic in its own right, not to be explored in this article.
- Investigating Copper Gluconate, I find out that it is cancer causing. Well, the scientists are using it so that means I should too??? NOT EVER! (So why pay almost $200 to endanger yourself?)
- Here was what a brief search elucidated:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/gluconate-copper4.4.9 Other compounds that cause cancer
- There were seven compounds sorted under this category. Copper gluconate caused cancer by increasing oxidative stress, resulting in cell and tissue damage (Abe et al., 2008). Myristic acid and sodium chloride are precursors to forming mutagens such as ruminant fats (Mannisto et al., 2003) and 2-chloro-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (Chen et al., 1996). Paraffin may result in an increased number of mitoses and tumours. Benzyl alcohol suppressed natural killer cell activity to eliminate cancer cells (Chapman et al., 1973). Glycolic acid altered the skin sensitivity to UV light, thus increasing DNA damage (Ali and Konishi, 1998). Glyceryl stearate inhibited growth of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin which was needed to perform cytotoxic functions in the treatment of bladder tumour (Bohle et al., 1996). Hence, patients with bladder tumours are advised to avoid this compound so as to avoid a drop in therapeutic efficacy.
- In layman’s terms:
- Copper gluconate
- Myristic acid and sodium chloride –pretumor mutagens form
- Benzyl Alcohol suppresses natural killer cells that eliminate cancer cells
- Glycolic Acid leads to altered skin sensitivity, increasing DNA damage
- Glyceryle stearate inhibited the cytotoxic functions to ward off tumors
- What about the third ingredient, after water and shea butter: Myristyl Myristate.
- It is used for: Emollient, Skin Conditioning
- According to SkinSort, it is:
- Very Disliked, (and Lyon Care never intends to use it.)
- Myristyl Myristate is created from the fatty acids of myristyl alcohol and myristic acid. In skincare, it is an emollient and texture enhancer.
- On its own, this ingredient has a comedogenicity index of 5/5. This means it has the potential to clog pores… That is not a chief consideration in a formula that contains oils such as:
- Chia Seed Oil (in the recipe as: Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil), Flax Oil (linseed), and Macademia nut oils. The respective comedogenic ratings are: chia: 3, flax: 4, and Macademia: 3. Truly, this will be a night cream for aging skin (right up my alley). I want moisturizing that lasts all night so I waken with dewy skin!
- Fourth ingredient on the list: C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate. First off, it is a natural, emollient esther.
- Oh, but then you think that is safe? But no, I have to ask, is it natural or synthetic:
- C12-15 alkyl benzoate is a synthetic ingredient:
- What it is: A synthetic ester of benzoic acid and long-chain alcohols
- What it does: Used in cosmetics and personal care products as an emollient, texture enhancer, and dispersing agent
- How it works: Softens and smooths skin, maintains skin condition, and helps control the growth of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi
- Where it's found: A common ingredient in moisturizers, sunscreens, and lotions
- Hallstar Beauty has produced a natural version of C12-15 alkyl benzoate that meets the ISO 16128 Natural Standard. It's derived from benzoic acid and natural mid-chain alcohols, and is engineered to perform the same as synthetic versions.
- SkinSort says it is disliked by the “community” (their scientists). “Our database includes 2,792 products that contain C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate.”
- Written by Jacob Laboissonniere
- Needless to say, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate may not be cancer causing, but it is not going into any Lyon Care products, however much the consideration of: even distribution of active ingredients…
- Skipping over Stearic Acid (which has also gone on my list of pros as an emollient, and something that can create a beautiful emulsion, more in another ingredient study, but a keeper!)
- Next comes this infamous Dimethicone. SkinSort says:
- Dimethicone
- Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
- Very Disliked
- Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
- Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.
- …
- Doesn’t sound so bad, does it?
- SkinSort gives no more information I can find, except it is present in 20% of their products in their database.
- Lyon care uses: Coco Caprylate Caprate. AI says: Coco-caprylate/caprate is a natural, renewable, and vegetable-based alternative to synthetic emollients like silicones, mineral oils, and IPM. It's also non-oxidizable and odorless.
- I think dimethicone has this main consideration:
- Dimethicone is a silicone, and silicones can be harmful to the environment. Silicones are created through chemical engineering, and they can wash into the water system and eventually end up in rivers and oceans.
- Or, perhaps it is problematic because:
- Cyclomethicone and dimethicone: These ingredients can trap moisture in the skin, creating a barrier that can lock in bacteria, oil, and other pathogens. They may contribute to increased acne and blackheads and can potentially disrupt the endocrine system. (In: Dimethicone Topical Side Effects Medically reviewed by Drugs.com https://www.drugs.com/sfx/dimethicone-topical-side-effects.)
- OK,OK
- I have not worked all the way down the ingredient list…
- REST ASSURED:
- LYON CARE respects the need for safe ingredients. Does this provide a bit of insight into how the process works?
- When we say each ingredient is carefully studied and considered, we mean it!! That is the whole objective! Skin care that is safe, where every ingredient is scrupulously investigated, and every formula carefully crafted. It is a big process.
- In the information papers that are supplied with each product, we disclose the list of ingredients (trying to clarify the common names in parenthesis and marked in bold). Eventually, in the future, it would be a dream for Lyon Care to have its own website aids, including all about each ingredient. These things take time.
- Thank you for enjoying this quest and trying new products as they are created!
- The company goal is:
- We are not satisfied until you are (if you don’t like a product, please exchange it for something else!!)
- Every ingredient is good for skin (though maybe not your skin type, so let’s be clear!!)
- Full disclosure for the ask: just ask! No gimmicks, no filler ingredients, no "desire to make money" is the object. Only: We care about making the skincare products the best they can be!