WHAT ACTIVE INGREDIENTS ARE USED?
Active ingredients have the ability to alter the structure or function of the skin. This means they can make real change in the skin tissue and determine what effect a product will have.
Active ingredients include antioxidants, vitamins, peptides, growth factors, exfoliating acids and enzymes, anti-inflammatory botanicals.
ARE THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS STABLE IN THE FORMULA?
Just because an active ingredient is present, doesn’t mean its quality or efficacy is protected.
Certain active ingredients need to be stabilised at a specific pH or by excipients. In addition, it is common for active ingredients to degrade when exposed to light or air. This means that product packaging is also incredibly important.
WHAT DELIVERY SYSTEM IS USED?
The penetration of all active ingredients into the skin is not equal and can often be difficult.
In many cases, the use of pharmaceutical technologies is needed to ensure ingredients reach their desired target. Many cosmeceutical formulations use penetration enhancers or nanotechnologies to overcome this challenge.
DOES THE PRODUCT HAVE CLINICAL RESULTS?
Testing a product to ensure it is able to elicit a specific response in the skin is important. In addition, how a product is tested is critical in its assessment.
Successful clinical trials means the product has the ability to produce the same, real change in every person.