During the last 30 years there have been many technological
advances in skin care. In today’s beauty products there are
sophisticated formulas containing a combination of synthetically
derived ingredients and natural extracts.
Despite the scientific developments, the emphasis on natural
beauty has never been stronger and virtually every major skincare
range contains some herbal extracts, essential oils, vitamins and
minerals. One of the many benefits of natural skin care ingredients,
such as the herbs echinacea and aloe vera, is the wealth of scientific
literature information on their skin benefits. The majority of natural
ingredients have been tried and tested for centuries and their antiinflammatory,
antiseptic, wound healing, skin protecting and
moisturising properties have been proven to be effective.
Many skincare ingredients perform very specific tasks. For
example, there are binders to maintain the products consistency,
colours for dyeing it, emulsifiers to hold liquids together, fragrances
and fixatives to prevent the odour vaporising. Other ingredients act
as humectants to keep the product moist, preservatives prevent it
from spoiling, while thickeners add body.