Category: Ingredients

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Standard Ingredients in Moisturizer

Water – The main ingredient of moisturizers. Water is the ingredient that hydrates the skin. The other ingredients help keep water in the skin.

Moisturizers – Moisturizers work by trapping water in the skin. It can do this in two ways. It can cover the skin with a waterproof layer so that the water cannot escape or it can bind the water and keep it in the skin. These two types of moisturizers are known as lubricants and humectants;

i- Lubricant or emollients – Mineral or vegetable oils; cholesterol; petrolatum (petroleum jelly); vaseline;  lanolin; silicone such as dimethicone; fatty acids such as strearic acid and isotearic acid; fatty alcohols such as cetyl alcohol, strearyl alcohol and myristyl alcohol; esters such isopropyl myristate; spermacetti, octyl palmitate, isodecyl neopentanoate, butyl stearate and isoprpyl isostearate.

ii- Moisturizers – Examples include polyols such as propylene glycol, glycerin, sorbitol, gelatine,  lecithin, pyrolidone; urea; lactic acid; sodium pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid (NCA-PCA); phopholipids.

Emulsifiers – Allow water and oil to be mixed together without seperating. Fatty alcohols; quarternium 15; sodium lauryl sulphate; steatic acid; trolamine.

Preservatives – This prevent growth of micro-organism. e.g Alcohol, benzyl alcohol, disodium EDTA, methylisothiazoline, parabens (methyl-,propyl-or butyl-paraben), quatenium-15, imidazolidinyl urea.

Antioxidants – These prolong the shelf-life of the product. E.g ascorbic acid, butylated hydozyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), citric acid, EDTA, propyl gallate, sodium bisulfate, tocopherol (vitamin E)

Fragrance – Mask odours or gives the product a pleasant odour.

 

Source: Taken from Dr Lim Kah Beng ‘Steps to Skin Beauty – A dermatologist’s guide’

 

 

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Chlorophyll

chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is miraculous and is considered by some as a wonder-food. The one wonderful benefit of chlorophyll comes from the  fact that  its molecular structure is absolutely identical to hemoglobin except for the center atom.

In hemoglobin this is iron, whereas in chlorophyll it is magnesium. This means that when ingested, chlorophyll can assist  hemoglobin function. Hemoglobin act as oxygen carrier in our blood therefore it is vital in our body, approximately  75%of human blood is hemoglobin. Chlorophyll can assist  to rebuild and replenish our red blood cells, boosting our energy and increasing our well being almost instantly.

Chlorophyll can help to regenerate cells in our body. It is also  known to help cleanse the body, fight infection, help heal wounds, and promote the health of the circulatory, digestive, immune, and detoxification systems.

Chlorophyll consumption is said to increases the number of red blood cells  therefore increasing oxygen utilization by the body. Chlorophyll also reduces the binding of carcinogens to DNA in the liver and other organs. It also breaks down calcium oxalate stones for elimination, which are created by the body for the purpose of neutralizing and disposing of excess acid.

Chlorophyll Benefits

Beside  helping to rebuild and replenish red blood cells, chlorophyll, being highly alkaline, also known to give the following benefits.

Anti Carcinogenic:
Chlorophyll protects against a whole host of carcinogens found in fungus-laden foods such as nuts and grains, the toxins from cooked meats, and air-borne carcinogens (from pollution). It blocks the metabolism in the body of harmful chemicals known as procarcinogens that damage DNA. Studies published in the journals Carcinogenesis and Food and Chemical Toxicology clearly display that chlorophyll inhibits carcinogenesis. (Click here to read the full research article)

Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory:
With high levels of vitamins A, C and E, chlorophyll has strong antioxidant capacity and has also been found to help reduce inflammation.

Chelation of Heavy Metals:
Chlorophyll is considered to be an important chelates agent  in nature. It’s has the ability to bind to and remove toxic heavy metals such as mercury.

Antiseptic:
Chlorophyll doesn’t actually have antiseptic properties of its own, however it does have the ability to aid body’s tissue in destroying germs by strengthening the tissue. This increases  disease resistance of cells and and  prevents the growth of bacteria.

Treats Bad Breath:
Chlorophyll has a double-action remedy for bad breath. Firstly, as a deodorizer, helps  eliminate odors in the mouth and throat and secondly it promotes a healthy digestive tract which is the primary reason for bad breath.

Rapid Delivery of Magnesium:
This has a highly alkalizing effect on the body which helps to deliver much needed oxygen to cells and tissues.

Contains vitamin K, C, folic acid, iron, calcium, protein:
Essential in building and repairing red blood cells and boosting immune system.