Bio-actives in Skin Care

Bio-actives is the big buzz-word in skin care. If you have no idea what they are, you’re not alone. Most likely you have heard these terms: resveratrol, alpha & beta hydroxy acids, and peptides being tossed around. Biologic active ingredients or bio–actives are vitamins, fatty acids, anti-oxidants, essential oils, phyto (plant) nutrients and polyphenols.

Anti-oxidants

Let’s see why this group of mostly natural ingredients is important to skin care. Resveratrol, a bit of a tongue-twister but at the top of our list for good reason. This polyphenol is found in grapes, red wine, tea, chocolate, peanuts, blueberries, cherries and cranberries.

Resveratrol is what gives these fruits their vibrant color and it is a powerful anti-oxidant when consumed as part of your diet. But then what is an anti-oxidant? It’s among natural substances that may help to delay the effects of aging and cell damage. Anti-oxidants can be very effective ingredients in skincare. If you’re already including foods containing resveratrol in your diet, that’s a great start. You can also add products that contain resveratrol to your skincare.

Simply put, anti-oxidants like to scoop up the unstable free-radicals that can lead to cell damage. One of the best known topical anti-oxidants, vitamin E (tocopherol), is used in lotions and body creams as it offers skin protective properties against photo-aging. Since it also helps with hyper-pigmentation; vitamin E can be included in skincare as a mild bleaching agent. Other anti-oxidants which may surprise you, caffeine and rosemary, are two sources of the anti-oxidant caffeic acid. Recent studies indicate caffeic acid may be beneficial for skin firming; so it’s likely that you’ll be seeing it beings used more and more in skincare products.

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids form when an organic acid combines with alcohol or glycerin. The soft, dry after-feel of some hand lotions is a direct result of including an ingredient from the fatty acid group. What would you think about the potent anti-oxidants from oleic acid in olive oil formulated in a rich body cream? Or the anti-inflammatory protection of jojoba oil added to a facial serum? You might consider a product that contains argan oil for improved skin elasticity.

These are just a few plant oils that are rich in linoleic and oleic fatty acids. Both are key bio-actives to look for in products for mature skin.

Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids

Alpha and beta hydroxy acids are exfoliants. Is one better than the other? It depends on whether the product needs to stay on the surface of your skin or enter your pores.

The hype about alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) is that this is the more aggressive exfoliator as it works on the surface of your skin. AHAs have natural sources: glycolic acid (sugar cane), citric acid (citrus fruit) malic acid (fruits), tartaric acid (grapes and wine) and lactic acid (milk) but usually produced synthetically for skincare.

Alpha-hydroxy acids are more prone to produce skin irritation and induce sun-sensitivity. Glycolic acid is the most popular of the AHAs. It’s used in place of chemical peels which require longer periods of skin recovery between application.

Beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) act on your skin surface and thorough pores. These acids encourage cell turnover and are more effective at reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Common BHAs include tropic acid, salicylic acid, and its natural cousin, willow bark extract . Salicylic acid can help reduce the inflammation and redness that often accompanies acne and rosacea. It’s also an excellent mild exfoliative and pore cleanser. Salicylic acid is often included in products for oily skin.

Essential oils and phyto-nutrients

Perhaps the first essential oil most people think of is lavender. Its clean, uplifting scent has been part of skincare for centuries. Lavender scented soap is always a best seller. What about using other essential oils in skincare?

Well, it may surprise you that the essential oils oregano and thyme contain major bio-actives for use in skin care products. Each contains anti-microbial properties from cavacrol and thymol–the same ingredient that gives Listerine mouthwash its familiar warmth. Not surprisingly, oregano essential oil is used in facial toner to help kill bacteria-causing acne.

Essential plant oils are the oldest bio-actives in skincare. Mint, camphor and eucalyptus essential oils and menthol crystals are used as cooling-agents in lotion. 5% tea tree oil is as effective as benzoyl peroxide in acne products, with less side-effects. Bay leaf and chamomile essential oils act to condition hair and encourage healthy growth.

Phyto-nutrients

Plant extracts are important phyto-nutrients. Among them, chamomile extract is a soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredient for face and skin lotions. Did you know that 100 grams of green tea extract has 100 mg of vitamin C? Therefore, it functions as both an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient. Distilled, alcohol-free witch hazel extract is a superb, gentle pore cleanser and as a result, is often a major bio-active in facial toners.

Castor oil is a barrier ingredient due to its ability to protect your skin from harsh environmental stressors such as wind and cold. It conditions skin while permitting minimal moisture loss. Rose hip oil, rich in vitamin C and retinol (vitamin A) places it high on the list of must-have ingredients for anti-aging formulations and products that help improve skin elasticity.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of bio-actives in skin care. We’ll explore more in future posts. In the meantime, if you like posts such as this, or have comments and suggestions, please send them on over!