Skin type and Functional Cosmetic
- 2016년 3월 24일
- 3분 분량
Everyone has a different skin type, same as how everyone has their own original fingerprints. Skin types are generally classified as normal, oily, dry and combination skin, but it is likely that the classification does not fully satisfy cosmetic users.
If so, we can wonder why cosmetic makers produce functional cosmetics. Is it possible and even meaningful, that cosmetic function can appeal to demand of cosmetic users who have their own skin types? We can say “Maybe not.”
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in Korea regulates that functional cosmetic of whitening and anti-wrinkle to contain specific MFDS-notified functional ingredients according to the guideline level. So do sunscreen products.
The notified ingredients by MFDS, for instance, are Allantoin for anti-wrinkle, Niacinamide for whitening and Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide and 20 more ingredients for sunscreen products. Do these ingredients function effectively to the skin?
A clinical test is probably the most appropriate method in order to verify efficacy of the functions. In Korea, a sunscreen product should take authorized clinical test and be approved by MFDS. That is to say, sunscreen products are officially approved their sunscreen function.
Whitening cosmetics function to reduce down pigmentation. Allantoin for anti-wrinkle actually soothes skin so that it can be effective against wrinkles rather than remove them. Wrinkles cannot be removed and none effective cosmetic-ingredient that perfectly removes wrinkles has yet been developed.
Such functional ingredients are able to be effective to skin of people who live in various parts of the world since the basic skin structure of human is similar even though skin types are varied upon race, sex, or region.
Some effects, however, can be varied according to region and race. Moisture effect is one of the major functions for many cosmetic products. The functional effect will be shown differently upon skin types, condition, and outer environment.
Moisture effect is basically divided into moisturizing and hydrating. Hydrating is to draw moisture to skin from outer side while moisturizing is to keep internal moisture of skin to prevent from release. A cosmetic of which main function is hydrating usually contains the ingredients, for instance Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) to draw moisture from outside of the skin. On the other hand, moisturizing functional cosmetic contains the ingredients to form a layer to lock in the skin moisture such as silicon layers. If one’s skin barrier is damaged, a moisturizing functional cosmetic will be better for their skin care. A dry skin type user can choose hydrating product.
Accordingly, moisture ingredients will show better effect by proper use based on considering the features of region, climate or race. Moisture cosmetics should be produced by appropriate mixing with moisturizing and hydrating ingredients for effective skin care according to the variables – humidity, temperature, and etc.
Cosmetic makers, however, actually do not develop all of their products by careful considering these various factors – region or racial variables. Cosmetic users are left responsible to choose the proper cosmetic to meet his/her own skin type. In order for the best choice, users firstly need to be well aware of their own skin type. How can one truly understand and distinguish their skin type? Would it be possible to develop an ideal cosmetic product that satisfies all skin types? Which environment/variable factor may influence the skin and the choice of product use? Let’s consider such questions through the coming serial postings.
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