As a cosmetic chemist I am always looking at formulas and ingredient lists of skincare and you can always tell when the end product is about Huge Profit and not about the results. This blog is to help you identify weather the skin care products are to going cause more damage than good and which ones deliver the results you want.

1. Vitamin A (rentoil, Retinyl Palmitate, retinyl acetate, etc) and SPF sunscreen. This is simply a No No, the Marketing team see Vitamin A and SPF as anti aging and a perfect marketing tool. Vitamin A makes you light sensitive therefore should never be used during the day time as you will burn easily thus inducing pigmentation and premature aging. I know you are thinking that well it has an SPF to stop that. The simple fact is,  why not use a product that is going to work with the SPF and not against it like Anti-oxidants and Vitamin C. Keep your Vitamin A for night when it can work to reduce aging and not cause aging.
2. Eye creams/serums with AHA’s or any type of skin exfoliant. AHA has been the “IN” ingredient for the last decade and the marketing team do not have to do the hard sell to get you to buy the product. As an Advanced Esthetician I have never seen any patient with dry scaly skin around the eye area. The skin in this area is so thin and is normally dehydrated and staving for nutrient. It requires gentle and high level of protection to reduce the dehydration that leads to aging signs in a light formula.
3. Vitamin C with AHA and other Light sensitive ingredients like Citric essential oils – When you think of Vitamin C you think of Oranges and Lemons. Again the marketing team do not have to do the hard sell to get you to buy the product as you will think it is more natural and better. Vitamin C is a very unstable ingredient and will expire/oxidize very easily, Vitamin C is great for anti-oxidant and at the right percentage levels and the correct pH will help with collagen and elastin. For results you need the best of the best of Vitamin C.
4. Fluff ingredients. This is where the skincare manufacture company add a small amount of Hip ingredient so that marketing team can rave about and lead you to believe that you are going to get benefits from the product due to this ingredient and the Accounting team rub they hands together as they are not paying for high end ingredients and make urge profits. Many high resulting ingredients are very expensive and must be used at high level to deliver results. Some of the peptides I use cost over $2000 per Kilogram and must be used at a level of above 5% to ensure results. Typical fluff ingredient is at less than 0.1% and is listed in the last third of the ingredient list.

I have seen high quality companies fall to the whims of Marketing and Accounting Departments to make a skincare product cheaper and easy to sell via hype. They never give results and give a bad name for the industry.   These companies have lost their way and they have forgotten why they were make the product in the first place and what the consumer was hoping to achieve from using the product. Dont be hijacked by a company that is run by the marketing and an a accounting team.

If you have a skincare product that you wish for me to analysis and to verify if it will deliver results. Then drop me a line below or email me – debra@debraspence.com

debra spence

Debra Spence is a Qualified Medical Aesthetician, Cosmetic Scientist, Lecture and Author. Owned of an Australian National Award Winning Medi Spa. Now is concerntrating on Education of Skin and Skincare plus provideing advance treatments to her private patients. Plus developing Zen Dejour a Result Based Cosmeceutical Skincare Range and Dermal Solution Private Lable Professional Skincare.

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