Which Skincare Ingredients Are Absorbed Into Your Skin

 

A while a go, I read that collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed by the skin so even if your skincare product contains collagen, it won't be useful.  This lead me to wondering, which ingredients are absorbed into your skin.  

Lets start at the beginning.  Our skin is made up of three layers which is important to know because when discussing absorption, we need to think about how far down the ingredients are going.  The majority of ingredients only make it as far as the top most layer with few going down to the middle layer which is where the blood flows through.

Semantics are important here because absorption means it makes it to the blood stream while penetration means it makes it down into the lower layer of the skin and this is what you want.

Many ingredients find it hard to get past the outer most layer because it acts as a barrier and is water repellent.  Consequently, manufacturers mix other ingredients in to help the important ones get through the barrier.  In addition, serums and other more liquid products penetrate the skin better than the thicker creams.  Another factor is molecules size and this is what allows certain ingredients to penetrate better than others. Furthermore, certain factors such as the thickness of your skin also controls which ingredients pass through the skin. If your skin is thinner, molecules are more likely to pass through.  

There are five major ingredients found in skin care whose molecules are small enough to penetrate your skin. One is Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid is easily absorbed into the skin. This ingredients brightens your skin, reduces hyperpigmentation, and protects you against environmental damage.  Another ingredient is hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that helps plump and hydrate your skin.  This is one you want in your skin care product.  

Then there is niacinamide.  This ingredient is also known as vitamin B3 and it helps reduce the size of pores, decrease inflammation, and regulate your natural skin oil production.  Another one, is AHA's or alpha-hydroxy acids which help get rid of dead skin cells to help improve skin texture and get rid of fine lines and wrinkles.  Finally, there is retinol which helps counter sun damage.

So if you want to make sure your skin care product is able to penetrate into your skin so it can do the most good, look out for these ingredients.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.