Cosmetics for men is getting increasingly popular. In 2008 around 25% of facial skincare products sold in the Netherlands were for men (NCV annual report).
Although the structure of the skin is slightly different, men and women need virtually the same skin care.
It is not easy reading and understanding the list of ingredients (INCI) on cosmetic products. In fact it is this information which should be used to determine if a product is good or not. Many claims which are found on the packaging of cosmetic products such as ‘hypo-allergenic’ or ‘dermatologically tested’ don’t really tell us very much. The INCI list is therefore an impartial way in which to choose a product.
A burning, prickling, stinging skin. How distressing! And if you look in the mirror you can’t really notice anything. Sometimes this happens if you have just applied a new cream, and sometimes if you haven’t changed anything at all.
Apart from the “lucky few”, achieving lovely skin is hard work for most people. Although knowledge of products and ingredients is important, knowing your own skin is necessary! And that definitely also applies if you want to use exfoliating ingredients.
I wrote earlier in my blog about self tanning creams. DHA (Dihydroxyacetone) is used in ‘self tanners’.
Cleopatra bathed in sour milk and the ladies of the French court used wine (this contained tartaric acid) to improve their skin. Fortunately for us we can enjoy our wine as a drink and ingredients such as lactic acid and tartaric acid are, along with glycolic acid and salicylic acid, available in various concentrations.
I have explained earlier in my blog about the function and effects of an exfoliant. There are a number of cosmetic ingredients that exfoliate the skin. Well known ingredients are glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acid. There is no wonder cream available, but an exfoliant does come close.
It is really satisfying being able to read your own story in a magazine! It is about ‘natural cosmetics’ and can be found in the Estheticienne (a Dutch journal for professional beauty care and cosmetics). I have written before about natural cosmetics in my blog, but here the subject is more extensively covered.
Vitamin C is one of the most studied cosmetic ingredients. There is enough well established and independent research which shows that vitamin C really works. But what does it do exactly? We already know that vitamin C is an important part of our diet.
Again a complex term: nutricosmetics. This is the collective name for nutrients which have a beneficial effect on the skin. In simple terms: by using these substances your skin improves. In particular anti-oxidants such as vitamin C and E are mentioned.