What goes into cosmetic formulation.
Have you ever looked at the ingredients list of a cosmetics product and felt confused and overwhelmed? Did you also wonder what those ingredients do or what effect they might have on your body? Below, we will summarize the basics of cosmetics formulations, and break down why certain ingredients are added.
To start off, every cosmetic formulation can be broken down to two categories – active and inactive ingredients.
An active ingredient is meant to addresses whatever concern the product is intended to target. It is the ingredient that takes action and does what the product says it will do. An active ingredient is approved by the FDA, and have been tested, with studies conducted to further prove their efficacy.
An active ingredient for a hair product can treat dandruff, assist in hair growth (like our Scalp Serum), remove frizz, or deep condition, among other things.
Inactive ingredients are not “inactive” per se, otherwise there would be no benefit in adding them. But rather than perform a specific function like active ingredients, inactive ingredients are added to do any of the following:
- Stabilize: to maintain the product’s consistency and texture. In other words they help it not to degrade quickly.
- Transport: to act as carriers to deliver the active ingredients to their point of action. Most products use water for this.
- Preserve: to prevent contamination to the product or skin. A good example of such an ingredient is parabens.
Unfortunately, brands add some inactive ingredients that only perform superficial functions, such as making a product smell good or add sparkle to the colour. And the longer the list the higher the risk of irritation and allergic reactions.
Basic understanding of ingredients and their functions can be a useful tool in choosing products that best fit your needs and goals, and products that are best avoided. At the end of the day, you are putting it on your body, so picking the best for yourself is a good practice in life.
Some great resources to look for ingredients are:
- https://www.paulaschoice.com/ingredient-dictionary
- https://www.ewg.org/
- https://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/