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Cosmeceuticals: Changing the Face of Skin Care

Our skin is the single largest organ in our body and the first thing that you present to the world. When it comes to what we are putting on our skin, and treating it with, it is essential that we are knowledgeable about the products. More and more people, women in particular, are beginning to take interest in the ingredients in their skin care products, and because of this, there has been a definite shift in the types of products available.

The skin care industry has begun shifting away from the use of synthetic ingredients and towards a focus on cosmeceuticals. Cosmeceuticals are a merging of cosmetics and skin care products with pharmaceuticals. The result of this merging has been very advantageous to skin care product users because the overall quality of products and their ingredients have improved, offering users products that actually help their skin and promote skin health.

Common examples of cosmeceuticals are in the area of anti-aging products. Anti-aging products are full of beneficial ingredients that help repair the skin to improve its overall look and feel. Some of the common ingredients that you will find in cosmeceutical products include alpha hydroxy acids, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, enzymes and essential oils. These ingredients all influence the skin's biological make-up and act on various components.

When you are looking to get the maximum benefit from cosmeceuticals, you should look for an anti-aging skin care line that incorporates a few different botanical and biological ingredients. A skin care line such as Osmotics and its Anti Aging Trilogy uses a few different ingredients to give you the maximum benefit of these powerful natural ingredients. The kit includes Blue Copper 5 Firming Elasticity Repair, which takes advantage of powerful copper peptides to repair the elasticity in the skin, restoring moisture and reducing visible signs of aging. The Anti Aging Trilogy kit also includes Kinetin Cellular Renewal Serum, which uses powerful natural ingredients kinetin, Coenzyme Q10 and vitamins E and A to repair the skin.

Cosmeceuticals will often include retinoids, a derivative of vitamin A. Vitamin A is a very powerful nutrient that is responsible for proper skin development and the integrity of skin layers and surfaces. Retinol is well known for its anti aging properties, smoothing wrinkles and surface lines in the skin. Because of the skin renewal properties of vitamin A, it is a common ingredient in most skin care regimens. Vitamin A is also particularly useful for treating skin conditions such as eczema, keratosis and acne. A product such as PCA Skin® Clearskin - pHaze 18 contain vitamin A in order to help restore a clarity and clearness of the skin and prevent the development of acne.

Hydroxy acids are also common ingredients found in cosmeceuticals. Hydroxy acids are also known as fruit acids because they are derived from botanical fruit ingredients. Hydroxy acids have become one of the most important discoveries in skin care because of the incredible effect that they have on the skin. The use of hydroxy acids on the skin generally decreases the signs of aging, resulting in a more uniform skin tone. This is accomplished by removing the outer surface of skin cells and stimulating the growth of new skin cells and collagen.

Exfoliating Body Wash from Glytone is an all-over body product that takes advantage of the exfoliating effects of glycolic acid derived from sugar cane to create an all-over glow and a fresh looking layer of skin cells.

Some of the common antioxidants that are found in cosmeceutical products include vitamin C and vitamin E, Panthenol and Lipoic Acid, as well as many more. Vitamin C is used in skin care products as an antioxidant to defend the skin against free radicals that threaten to break down the integrity and appearance of the skin. Vitamin E is also used as an antioxidant to defend the skin against premature aging and other damage. It is also used extensively for its ability to repair the skin and heal dry skin.

The use of cosmeceutical products does not end with simple skin care products. In fact, the use of botanicals in makeup products has increased incredibly in the last decade as well. All types of makeup are using the benefits of vitamins, minerals and other botanicals to provide lighter weight products that can actually heal and protect the skin while they are being worn. A pressed powder product such as GloMinerals gloPressed Base takes advantage of vitamins E, C and K as well as other botanicals to produce a lightweight product that defends against free radical damage and UV sun radiation as it is worn.

The trend toward skin care products and skin care lines that take advantage of botanicals, nutrients and vitamins is only increasing. You owe it to your skin and yourself to choose products that are full of only the highest quality ingredients.

Article posted 3/12/2007.

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Clearskin - pHaze 18 by PCA Skin® $28.00

Blue Copper 5 Face Lifting Serum by Osmotics $75.00

Kinetin Cellular Renewal Serum by Osmotics $78.00