The Science Behind Effective Skincare Ingredients

From hyaluronic acid to vitamin C, certain skincare ingredients tend to be in the spotlight quite often, mainly because of how effective they are. They’re often referred to as must-haves in every skincare routine, and most people follow this advice and add them in.

However, while there’s no disputing the efficacy of these ingredients, have you ever wondered why they’re so beneficial? What is it about these skincare ingredients that makes them such superstars? That’s exactly what Lionesse will be taking a closer look at today.

Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate

Let’s begin with hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that has set the skincare world alight in recent years. There has been a huge buzz around this compound, with industry experts revering how hydrating it is.

What makes it so hydrating? It all comes down to how hyaluronic acid is a humectant. This means that it has moisture-binding properties. Think of it like a sponge, which draws in and then holds onto water. Hyaluronic acid does the same.

There is plenty of research out there that confirms how hyaluronic acid can significantly improve skin hydration, which is why excitement rose even further when sodium hyaluronate came onto the scene. This ingredient is the salt form of hyaluronic acid, which basically means that it has a smaller molecular size. As a result, while hyaluronic acid hydrates the outer surface of the skin, sodium hyaluronate is able to take things a little deeper.

Both are fantastic skincare ingredients to use if you’re trying to hydrate your skin, which is why you’ll find them in several Lionesse products. Our White Pearl Wrinkle Reducing Syringe boasts hyaluronic acid. This formula makes the most of how hyaluronic acid plumps up the complexion, utilizing it to immediately smooth away the appearance of wrinkles. 

For sodium hyaluronate, give the Black Onyx Serum a try. This silky formula is also designed to minimize the visibility of wrinkles, doing so with a combination of humectants, vitamins, and alpha-hydroxy acids.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another ingredient that everyone has been raving about lately. It’s one that most people are familiar with – it’s common knowledge that our bodies need vitamin C in order to function properly. 

However, your skin needs it too, and it often doesn’t receive enough solely from the foods that you consume. Since the human body doesn’t produce vitamin C, using topical skincare products containing the ingredient is highly recommended.

So, why exactly is this? What makes vitamin C so effective? 

Well, its popularity is largely down to how multi-functional it is. As an antioxidant, it’s able to repair the visibility of skin damage. Whether this may be in the form of wrinkles, dark spots, sagging skin, or anything else, vitamin C is able to help with the appearance of all of these skin concerns.

When it comes to the use of vitamin C in skincare products, the ingredient can be found in many forms. Ascorbic acid is the purest, but it also comes with the risk of irritation as a side effect if it’s in an overly-potent formula. It’s also notorious for being difficult to stabilize, which is why other forms of vitamin C tend to be used more often. 

One of our favorites is tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. It’s highly stable and plays well with other skincare ingredients. You’ll find it, along with ascorbyl palmitate, which is another powerful form of vitamin C, in the Lionesse White Pearl Vitamin C Serum. This serum also contains a few other noteworthy antioxidants, making it a great formula to use on skin that looks damaged in any way.

Kaolin

You’ll probably be familiar with kaolin if you’ve ever used a clay-based face mask. While there are a few other clays out there that are also used for skincare purposes, kaolin is known for being one of the best. It’s far gentler on the skin, yet it still has an incredible cleansing, exfoliating, and detoxifying effect on the complexion.

So, how does it actually work?

It’s all thanks to how kaolin is so highly absorbent. When you apply it to your skin, it soaks up any excess oil that’s sitting on your skin’s surface, clearing out your pore openings. It attracts dirt and other impurities too, holding on to all of this. When you rinse the clay off your skin, you’ll also be rinsing away all of those unwanted particles.

Thanks to its gentle nature, kaolin is suitable for all skin types, even those with dry or sensitive skin. The secret to ensuring that it doesn’t dry the skin out in the way that other clays can is to make sure that your clay mask doesn’t fully harden on your skin. Wash it off while it’s still pliable and you won’t have to worry about it drying you out.

To elevate your masking session even further, give the Lionesse Black Onyx Mask a try. It’s a clay mask but with a difference…

As you massage this mask onto your skin, it gently heats up. This encourages a more elastic feel in the pore openings, allowing the kaolin in the mask to work even more effectively at clearing those pores out. Once all obstacles have been removed, the other ingredients in the mask can then dive in and work their magic. 

Peptides

Peptides consist of chains of amino acids. Your skin uses peptides to produce various proteins, putting together different peptide combinations in order to create each one. From collagen to elastin to keratin, all of these proteins contain peptides as their building blocks.

The skin produces plenty of these proteins on its own while it’s young. However, as a person ages, protein production declines. This is why the skin starts to sag and wrinkle over time. This is also why peptides are often found in products designed to reduce the appearance of skin aging. Not only can they help to smooth away the visibility of wrinkles, but they also strengthen and thicken the feel of the skin. This improves moisture retention in the long run, another role that the natural proteins in your skin play.

There are over 100 different peptides out there. Each one technically works in its own unique way, and understanding the complexities of each can take a fair bit of dedication. Fortunately, you don’t need to do this – all peptides will generally produce similar effects. So long as your skincare products contain at least one peptide, you’ll know that you’re giving your complexion a boost.

Of course, the more peptides, the better. This is why you’ll find three different peptides in the Lionesse Golden Sapphire Cream. They’ve been combined with vitamins and other antioxidants to help tackle the appearance of aging. Meanwhile, licorice root extract and caffeine will work to brighten the complexion.

Plant Oils

Plant oils have become extremely popular in skincare products. More and more people have been leaning toward formulas that contain as many natural skincare ingredients as possible, and plant oils never fail to impress.

When it comes to the science behind how plant oils work, things can get a little complicated. Every plant oil out there is so unique! However, they do all share some similarities…

For starters, just about every plant oil will be loaded with antioxidants. As we’ve already mentioned, antioxidants are key when it comes to fighting the appearance of skin damage.

Plant oils also act as emollients. This means that they cover the skin with a very thin film. Not only does this soothe and calm the complexion, while also protecting it to a certain extent, but it also prevents moisture from evaporating away. This is why plant oils are so effective at hydrating and moisturizing the skin.

Some of the thicker plant oils out there, such as avocado and olive, are also famed for their omega fatty acid content. This further enhances their moisturizing capabilities, while also helping to improve the appearance of elasticity and smoothness.

While it’s true that some plant oils can cause clogged pores in oily skin, not all of them have this effect. Lavender oil, for example, is a fantastic one for all skin types. It’s non-comedogenic and feels incredibly detoxifying, and it also has a beautiful natural scent! You can experience this for yourself with the Lionesse Diamond Rejuvenation Facial and Eye Mask. It features lavender oil, along with hyaluronic acid, algae extract, and diamond powder.

If your skin would benefit from a thicker oil, try our Opal Sheer Melting Mask. It contains avocado oil, plus a long list of super fruit extracts!

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids

Also referred to as AHAs, alpha-hydroxy acids are naturally occurring chemical compounds. There are several different AHAs out there that are each derived from a different source, including sugar cane, almonds, and citrus fruits.

Although each AHA has its own unique set of benefits, they all share the same common goal; to exfoliate the skin. 

How do they do this? 

Well, unlike physical exfoliants, which are abrasive substances that physically dislodge dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, AHAs work by dissolving the glue-like link that holds dead cells to the skin’s surface. This allows those cells to then be naturally shed, which is why chemical exfoliation is said to be gentler than physical exfoliation. 

You’ll usually find alpha-hydroxy acids in exfoliating products. However, some, such as lactic acid, also offer up hydrating and moisturizing effects. This is why it’s used in other skincare products too, just like the Lionesse Opal Sheer Collagen Serum. It’s used in a small amount, meaning that it won’t replace your weekly exfoliating session, yet it’s still enough to visibly brighten the complexion while providing a dose of moisture too. Backed up by sodium hyaluronate, collagen amino acids, and glycerin, it’s easy to see why this serum is such a hydrating one!

Experience the Best Skincare Ingredients With Lionesse

It’s always useful to know more about how certain skincare ingredients work. This way, you can make an educated decision as to whether or not you want to include them in your skincare routine. Of course, having said that, when it comes to the ingredients featured above, you don’t have to worry – they’re all incredibly beneficial for every skin type, making them well worth investing in!

Click here to explore more top-tier skincare ingredients by browsing the Lionesse bestsellers.