Science of Skincare: Best Skincare According to a Chemist

Winter isn’t just coming – it’s here and in full swing. Which means most of us are looking to up our skincare game. So, today, I’m diving into the best skincare according to a chemist.

I’m kind of a skincare junkie. But it can be difficult to determine which products are good and which ones are overpriced and non-effective. With that in mind, I asked someone with far more expertise: a chemist.

Every beauty product on the market has the ingredients listed on the back. But how many of you actually know how to read that ingredient list? Because to me, it might as well be written in a foreign language.

Luckily for me, John is a chemist. Whenever I buy a new serum or moisturizer, I have him look it over to tell me whether or not it’s good. And I wanted to share his insights with you all!

So, without further ado, here is the best skincare according to a chemist.

Related Read: My New Favorite Amazon Skin Care Essentials

Rules of Skincare According to a Chemist

Before I jump into the best products to buy, there are some things to consider when shopping for skincare. Basically, the rules of skincare.

1. Know what you want to get from it

Before buying any skincare product, you need to know what it is that you want the product to do for you. What is your overall skincare goal? Understanding that is key to figuring out what ingredients to look for.

Are you looking to smooth your skin? Even out your skin tone? Reduce oiliness or acne? Whatever it is that you want, figuring that out is the most important step.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: what if I want a product to do everything? Well, unfortunately that’s not going to happen. There’s no magic product that will fulfill all your skincare needs. Further, if a product says it will, then chances are it won’t do any of them very well.

So, instead, figure out what’s most important and go from there.

2. Look for the Right Ingredients

Once you know what you want out of a product, you can look for products that contain the right ingredients. That’s where the chemistry thing comes into play. Understanding what chemicals are effective for what skincare goals is vital.

For example, if your goal is moisturizing or smoothing your skin, you’re going to want to look for products with hyaluronic acid. That’s a big skincare buzzword, but that’s because it does a very effective job at repairing collagen.

Part of the trouble, though, is in understanding chemist lingo. Hyaluronic acid has different names and comes in different forms, some of which are more effective than others. The two main forms are hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate. Both are good, but again, it depends on what you want the product to do.

If you’re wanting to reduce wrinkles, look for a product with sodium hyaluronate. It penetrates the skin more easily. But, if you’re just looking for something that will moisturize your skin, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is a good way to go.

Here are some of the most common skincare ingredients and what they’re good for:

3. Look at the Ingredient List

Order matters. That’s the biggest takeaway when it comes to the ingredient list.

By law, companies have to list all of the ingredients they use in a product. Further, they have to list them in descending order of concentration. Which means that the first ingredient on the list is the largest. This will almost always be water.

Since some chemicals do not dissolve easily in water, they might use an alcohol or other non-polar substance to ensure dissolution. Then there are chemicals (such as propanediol) that are used to help the solution retain moisture and permeate your skin so that it’s more effective.

From there, you should start to see some of the key ingredients that are listed in the above table. This is where you need to pay attention to the order. If it’s listed at the very bottom, it likely means it isn’t going to do anything.

In addition, you want your key ingredients to be listed ahead of any colors, preservatives, and hopefully fragrances.

Best Skincare Products

With all of the skincare rules in mind, I asked John for some specific skincare recommendations. He looked at the ingredient list along with the price of the product to determine if it was worth it.

Because that’s the other thing he’s taught me: some ingredients just cost more than others. Whether or not a product is overpriced has more to do with its ingredient list than its actual price.

For example, if you’re wanting a growth factor serum, you’re looking at spending over $200. That’s because growth factors are expensive. And they require a certain chemical environment to be effective. (There’s a lot more to that, but it’s a little too science-y for me, so I’ll leave it at that.)

Here are John’s top skincare products:

Conclusion

If you only take one thing away from this post, it’s to know what you want. That’s true for many things in life and your skincare is no exception. Once you know what you want, you can make sure to research the best product for you.

Do you have a favorite skincare product? Let me know in the comments below!

As always, thanks for reading!

xx
Katie

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