MARVELLOUS MOLECULES
H
When it comes to understanding the hows and
whys of skin care, it all comes back to molecules.
With skin care becoming more scientific, in
everything from its formulation to its adver-
tising, it’s easy for anyone who isn’t a self-pro-
claimed ‘skintellectual’ to feel confused. If you
have always wondered how your favourite cream
or serum works, or what terms like ‘time-release
delivery system’ and ‘low molecular weight’
actually mean, you’ve come to the right place. the hypodermis or subcutaneous layer – which
not only protect our inner organs from harm
and bacteria but keep us waterproof and looking,
well, human. Within the top layer of the skin
(the epidermis, keep up!) there are four or five
sub-layers, including the stratum corneum and
the stratum basale. In short, that’s a long journey
for any ingredient to go on in order to reach the
dermis, where key proteins like collagen and
elastin reside, hence why few ingredients actu-
ally make it. Most will stay on the surface or
will penetrate down to the lower layers of the
epidermis, where changes to the skin’s health
can still be made.
Let’s Get Deep
Before you can understand how a product does
or doesn’t penetrate the skin, we need to revisit
some basics. The skin is made up of three
primary layers – the epidermis, the dermis and Size Matters
In order for an ingredient to reach these lower
layers, it needs to first pass through the epider-
mal barrier or lipid layer. While this barrier is
predominantly the first line of defence against
ow deep can your skin care prod-
ucts really go and why do some
stay on the surface?
ISSUE #10 | 2019 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 34
Biotechnology
By Danielle Hadley