Exploring the Elements of Skincare Essentials

1. Introduction

This report aims to present the basic essentials of skincare, which is fundamental to provide a suitable understanding of an important aspect of human bodily care.

The body, particularly the skin, faces challenges every day. When the skin is exposed to a foreign substance or is neglected, it may develop a skin disease. To prevent this, it is imperative to protect the skin from harm and cleanse it regularly so that dirt or bacteria cannot settle on it. By doing so, the skin can avoid developing easily preventable skin diseases. The perspective of skin disease and skin care can change greatly due to age.

Skincare starts at birth, but slowly at a very minimal stage, mainly to protect against environmental conditions such as sunlight, rain, or wind. In certain regions where harsh conditions are prevalent, lotions or creams are used as a barrier, while in other regions, a Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) is used to combine moisture and prevent its evaporation. Furthermore, at a young age, cleansing routines are minimal and limited to the face only, with just a soap bar used occasionally to aid this process.

2. Understanding the Basics of Skincare

Knowing the fundamentals of skincare is essential preparation for making informed selections when choosing skincare essentials. Skin types differ considerably and affect choices regarding the ingredients used in skincare products and routines. Taking steps to nourish skin begins with learning about the type of skin and common skin conditions, which can help demystify the vast collection of products on the market 1.

There are four general types of skin: normal, dry, oily, and combination, each displaying unique characteristics that necessitate specific products and routines to address its needs. There are also five common skin conditions that transcend skin type, including redness, sensitivity, aging, acne, and discoloration, which arise from a plethora of causes such as hormonal fluctuations and environmental exposures.

Understanding skin types and conditions provides the foundation of knowledge to understand the essential components that constitute an effective skincare regimen. Each of the four key components—protection, prevention, cleansing, and moisturizing—works synergistically to restore and maintain the appearance of healthy and beautiful skin.

2.1. Skin Types and Conditions

Skincare practices should first focus on understanding the different skin types and conditions most people have. When people say “my skin is dry,” or “I’m having a breakout,” they are addressing skin types and conditions. Understanding the differences and variations in the skin is paramount to stylizing skincare practices to every individual.

Skin types differ in oiliness and hydration levels. Four main skin types are considered for skincare: dry, oily, combination, and normal. Dry skin produces fewer natural oils than normal; therefore, it may feel tight or rough and look dull or lifeless. It may create dry patches, red patches, or even itch in some cases.

Oily skin tends to produce more oils than normal, resulting in excessively oily skin on the T-zone (forehead and nose), greasy cheeks, large pores, and prone to pimples, whiteheads, or blackheads. Combination skin combines both skin types and may feel dry on the cheeks, while oily in the T-zone. People may feel different from skin types in different seasons.

For example, people often have oily skin in summer and combination or dry in winter. Normal skin can be viewed as the “blessing”, as it is neither too oily nor dry. It feels smooth, supple, and elastic, with a fine, uniform, and balanced skin tone, free of imperfections. Additionally, it has smaller and less visible pores and is free of flaking and redness. Nevertheless, normal skin types still need hydration 1.

Skin conditions differ in nature, such as irritation, inflammation, or rash. It includes the most common conditions: acne, sensitivity, pigmentation, and aging. Acne is the most common condition, showing up as occasional pimples, frequent breakouts, or severe cystic acne. Sensitivity, allergy, or rosacea are sometimes confused with skin types 2.

It describes skin that often reacts with redness, bumpiness, or tingling sensations. It often accompanies dryness, in the chronic case, but not necessarily or not exclusively. Pigmentation refers to uneven skin tone problems such as dullness, dark spots, freckles, or redness left over from acne. It includes recent and older situations. Aging or wrinkle concerns refer to sagging skin, deep furrows, or expression lines that could be seen at the forehead, around the eyes, or mouth.

2.2. Key Components of a Skincare Routine

Complementing the earlier discussion on skin types and conditions, the essential elements that comprise the core of an effective skincare regimen are described here. These simple yet key practices are vital for maintaining healthy skin, creating a beautiful canvas for the makeup intervals, as well as preserving its health and appearance throughout the future.

Washing the face is the most critical step in every skincare regimen. This daily ritual cleans up the skin by washing off dirt, grease, and any residue or buildup caused by environmental factors. Cleansing is also important to improve absorption of active ingredients in other skincare steps.

Be sure to select a cleanser that is gentle and that matches the skin type and condition. For oily or combination skin, gel-based foaming cleansers help control excess oil and deep-cleanse the pores. However, overly abrasive cleansers can worsen dryness or irritation, so avoid those too. For dry skin, creamy cleansers reduce the stripping of oil and moisture while providing hydration. Normal skin can use either type based on preference 1.

3. Ingredients in Skincare Products

Focusing now on the ingredients in skincare products, seeking to shed some light on the active ingredients in these formulations. In today’s market, there is a myriad of ‘active’ skincare ingredients. It is important to note that ‘active’ in topical products refers to the ingredient concentration (the number of active ingredients in a product divided by the total number of ingredients in the product), and the degree of penetration into the skin barrier 1.

The active ingredients commonly found in skincare products include AHA/BHA, Retinol, niacinamide, tea tree oil, and exfoliants.Formulations must disclose the types and concentrations of these compounds to the end user. Unfortunately, brands are not required to disclose the precise concentration of an ingredient in a formulation.

Despite the best attempts by brands to tout exceptional marketing and formulations, suppliers have come to realize that it is nigh impossible to conceal a compound if it is present at a high level. If it is present in low concentrations, any marketing campaign or formulation-equivalent strategies will probably not sway savvy consumers into believing the product is truly effective. A dearth of regulation regarding skincare formulation presents a conundrum.

3.1. Common Active Ingredients

Amidst the landscape of skincare product ingredients, the most well-known and widely used active ingredients are profiled here. In general, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids, or topical retinoids or retinol can be recommended as topical agents to treat the appearance of dry, rough, or bumpy skin or help exfoliate the skin 1.

AHAs, such as glycolic and lactic acids, are water-soluble organic acids derived from fruits and milk and naturally found in the skin. They exhibit both exfoliating and moisturizing properties. Glycolic acid enhances epidermal permeability, stimulating desmosome breakdown within the stratum corneum for keratinocyte exfoliation. It also promotes the production of glycosaminoglycans, lipids, and collagen fibers to improve skin hydration and elasticity. Clinical studies show that AHAs effectively treat photodamaged skin, primarily by improving pigmentation and texture.

AHA concentration in products typically ranges from 4% to 15%. At higher concentrations, AHAs may cause erythema and burning, while lower concentrations are often ineffective. Salts of AHAs, such as lactates or gluconates, are less potent alternatives to AHAs, with a lower likelihood of irritation.

In clinical studies, 1–8% salicylic acid preparations are commonly used to treat acne. Salicylic acid is a lipophilic beta hydroxy acid (BHA) with a similar mechanism of action to AHAs, though it penetrates the pilosebaceous follicle better due to its smaller molecular size. Salicylic acid has both exfoliating and comedolytic properties.

Salicylic acid is a common acne treatment ingredient in concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 2% in over-the-counter products. Higher concentrations are allowed in prescription formulations. As a more potent comedolytic agent than AHAs, salicylic acid is particularly effective for oily skin with epidermal hyperproliferation or acne. However, salicylic acid is less effective for senescent skin and solar elastosis.

3.2. Natural vs. Synthetic Ingredients

A myriad of natural and synthetic ingredients has been employed in skincare products that aim to prevent, protect, and treat early skin aging. Natural components aside from supporting the skin’s structure and function may deliver beneficial effects through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions that protect the skin from harmful exogenous effects, whereas synthetic compounds are largely favored for their high stability and uniformity 3.

A comparative approach highlighting the advantages and drawbacks of both natural and synthetic ingredients is described below.Natural ingredients. Natural ingredients are commonly derived from plants, animals, algae, insects, or minerals. It is believed that natural products are better accepted by the skin and possess a higher level of safety. In addition, they conform to the environmental approach through recycling natural resources.

Naturally sourced biomaterials involve a wide range of renewable resources, are biodegradable, and exert little impact on overall ecological balance 1. Typical examples of natural antioxidant ingredients include extract oils from Rosmarinus officinalis L and Camellia sinensis as well as fruit extracts from Vaccinium myrtiilus (bilberry), Vitis vinifera (grape seed), and Rubus idaeus (raspberry).

Natural UV filters derived from chamomile and cassia orotata catalyze the photodegradation of hazardous chemicals through a photochemical reaction that generates free radical nitroxide species.

Synthetic ingredients. Synthetic ingredients are compounds synthesized from natural products, such as silica gel (from quartz sand) or chitosan (from crustaceans). Artificially engineered compounds are favored in the formulation of cosmetic products due to long shelf life and high stability, flexibility in modification, favorable crystallizing ability, and easy processing into polymer blends.

Typically included synthetic UV blockers are octyl methoxycinnamate and octyl dimethyl p-aminobenzoate, whereas artificial antioxidants include butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA),. Synthetic chemicals are suspected to exhibit a greater number of undesired side effects compared to their nature-sourced counterparts. The concentration of artificial additives in a cosmetic product cannot exceed a given limit.

4. The Science Behind Skincare

Tens of molecules co-contribute to skin’s water-holding capacity. These molecules illustrate diverse chemical structures (amino acids, urea, saccharides, lactate, ions) and their concentrations (generally hundreds to millimolar range) differ between species, ages, anatomic sites, sexes and environmental conditions.

It is well-recognized that simple moisturizing creams normally repair a defective barrier but facilitate skin’s biological homeostasis 4. That permeability barrier restoration relies on skin surface lipids is understood. That barrier function is nearly instantaneous thanks to multilayer lipids that create 3D lipid domains — the lipid lamellae — into which free ceramides, free fatty acids and free cholesterol extracted from stratum corneum cells interdigitate; subsequently impermeable stratum corneum cells lock on surface lipids by crosslinks.

Skin biological homeostasis is generally defined as skin pH = 5.5, temperature = 30ᵒC, sodium salt concentration = 0.8%, potassium salt concentration = 50 µM, bicarbonate concentration = 25 µM. Phospholipid membrane is the only potential source for bicarbonate. Conducted studies reveal Na+ concentration drop and K+ increase at a skin depth of 44µm, suggesting that a swelling force ought to act on this surface lipid, indicating that skin biological homeostasis is crucial for skin in vivo.

Important pH-sensitive molecules co-determine skin normal pH = 5.5. Phosphatases, glycosyl hydrolases, serine proteases, protease inhibitors, free fatty acids, lactate, histidine and flavonoids are often considered, but recent findings suggest that skin lipids and a number of amphiphilic cationic amino acids (including arginine and lysine) also participate in shaping skin pH. Exposed to alkaline aqueous solutions, phospholipids develop negative charges leading to fast swelling as bilayers rupture upon forming inverse micelle.

Upon skin lipid bilayers rupture, skin could not resist inflammation or tolerate irritants, and skin would be vulnerable to infectious agents. Clearly, skin pH = 5.5, otherwise hydrated skin loses its integrity. Given the importance of biological surfaces intactness, skin pH maintenance ought to be an extensively regulated process.

Also Read: Best Beauty Tips for Teenagers

 

4.2. The Role of pH in Skincare

Understanding the terms acid, alkaline, or pH is fundamental knowledge required before sorting the skin care essentials or products. pH control is one of the key points for skin care product selection and is a major subject that should be included in the education of the beauty treatment profession and development of beauty products 7. pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The degree of acidity or alkalinity can be measured by the value of pH (-log [H+]). A neutral solution has a pH of 7, values lower than 7 are acidic, while values higher than 7 are alkaline.

For the human body, a pH of around 7.3–7.4 is necessary for survival. When the body is exposed to environmental insult or is affected by pathological conditions, pH values go beyond this range, resulting in uncompensated metabolic changes or even the failure of organ function. The role of pH in the skin is very important for skin health as it fell within a slight acidic range of about 4.5–5.7. This slight acidic pH range is maintained by the skin’s moisture (NMFs), fatty acids, and lactic acid secretion from the eccrine, sebum, and apocrine glands.

5. Innovations in Skincare Technology

The development of ingredient technology in the cosmetic industry is continuously evolving to cater to sophisticated consumer demand 8. In order to meet changing consumer tastes and concerns, cosmetic manufacturers are challenged to develop innovative products with new ingredients, different formulations, or novel combinations of existing products 1.

The introduction of new ingredients such as peptides and alpha hydroxy acids is inspired by the cosmetic use of existing prescription drugs and natural extracts used in traditional cultures. Long-lasting concern for the safety and side effects of sophisticated ingredients has increased consumer information and manufacturers’ business risk.

Concern for sensitivity has guided expectations for them to be gentler than active ingredients (e.g., botanical extracts). In order for any crude extract to be effective, consistent, and safe, its ingredients must be better understood. Besides the study of formulas, ingredients, and skin reactions, a mechanistic approach is taken to account for both structure-reactivity and structure-activity relationships of chemicals, indicating rational methods for ingredient evaluation.

The appearance of newly described skin components has paralleled the growing popularity of vegetable extracts, herbalism, and alternative modes of fashion. As consumers continue to insist on aesthetic benefits from their personal care products, an extensive review on botanical materials frequently used in cosmetics was therefore timely.

References:

1. Rodan K, Fields K, Majewski G, Falla T. Skincare Bootcamp: The Evolving Role of Skincare. 2016. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

2. Firooz A, Sadr B, Babakoohi S, Sarraf-Yazdy M et al. Variation of Biophysical Parameters of the Skin with Age, Gender, and Body Region. 2012. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

3. I. S. P. Resende D, Jesus A, M. Sousa Lobo J, Sousa E et al. Up-to-Date Overview of the Use of Natural Ingredients in Sunscreens. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

4. Haftek M, Abdayem R, Guyonnet-Debersac P. Skin Minerals: Key Roles of Inorganic Elements in Skin Physiological Functions. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

5. He X, Gao X, Guo Y, Xie W. Research Progress on Bioactive Factors against Skin Aging. 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

6. Muhammad Khurram W. FORMULATION DEVELOPMENT AND NON-INVASIVE INVIVO EVALUATION OF COSMETIC EMULSIONS CONTAINING VARIOUS BOTANICAL EXTRACTS. 2015. [PDF]

7. Kuo SH, Shen CJ, Shen CF, Cheng CM. Role of pH Value in Clinically Relevant Diagnosis. 2020. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

8. Md Kasim R, Ridzuan Nordin M. Applications Of Science And Technology In Malaysian Cosmetic Industry. 2006. [PDF]