Skin Care, Anti-Aging & Natural Ingredients Glossary
Understanding skin care terms can help you take better care of your skin.
You've more then likely heard skin care terms being used by skin care experts or seen these natural ingredients listed on the bottles, tubes and jars of your favorite face cream, mask, peel or other skin care products. Some skin care terms and natural ingredients you may recognize, and some you may not.
Here is a list of some commonly used skin care terms:
- Acid: Reduces pH level of skin.
- AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids): Chemicals that simulate an abrasive by sloughing dead skin cells.
- Alanine: An amino acid found in many moisturizers.
- Allantoin: Protects the skin from irritants.
- Amino Acid: Naturally occurs in human protein; used to add moisturizing properties to creams.
- Antioxidant: Ingredient helps eliminate free radical attack.
- Astringent: Used to remove skin surface oils and to temporarily help appearance of pores.
- Benzoyl Peroxide: Helps to prevent acne by drying blemish and reducing acne-causing bacteria.
- Cetearyl Alcohol: Ingredient procured from palm oil and used to moisturize the skin.
- Citric Acid: Acids from citrus fruits used to reduce pH levels in skin.
- Collagen: Found in the connective tissue, collagen provides shape to skin and cartilage.
- Emollient: A combination of fats and oils used to keep moisture in the skin by providing a barrier.
- Emulsifier: Necessary ingredients to keep two ingredients that usually do not mix, i.e., oil and water, from separating.
- Emulsion: A suspension of two ingredients that do not mix, i.e., oil and water, and remain mixed; held together by a third ingredient called an emulsifier.
- Enzyme: Proteins produced to be catalysts in biochemical reactions.
- Epidermis: Surface layer of skin.
- Free Radicals: Environmental molecules that break down skin cell structure that helps cause skin to appear to age.
- Glycerin: Has water binding properties and is popularly used in moisturizers.
- Lactic Acid: Penetrates skin to aid in cell exfoliation, gently removing dead skin cells to reveal fresh, vibrant new cells.
- Lipid: A fatty compound.
- Peptide: A chemical structure with two or more amino acids.
- PH: A scale used to determine the skin's balance of acidity and alkalinity.
- Retinol: An acid from Vitamin A.
- Sebum: Oil produced by sebaceous glands.
- Serum: A concentrated treatment usually used after cleansing.
- Toner: Used after a facial cleanser; reestablishes normal pH levels of the skin, and is less drying than astringents.
Find skin care products at Aloette with these natural ingredients.
