For a skincare consultation with the most trusted name in Tucson cosmetic dermatology , contact Specialists in Dermatology today. Hello, everyone! I have many patients who are troubled by the fullness under the chin. Last we talked about Tranexamic Acid and Azelaic Acid. Both acids help with hyperpigmentation spots. Azeliac Acid is found in whey and rye and is safe to use for many conditions.
Dark spots, or also known as hyperpigmentation, can happen to all of us no matter our age or skin type. You Might Also Enjoy Many fatty or waxy substances can serve as occlusives.
The commonly used ones include cetyl alcohol a fatty alcohol , lanolin, lecithin, mineral oil, paraffin, and stearic acid. Dimethicone and cyclomethicone are silicones that function as occlusives. When products say they are oil-free, that usually means they don't contain mineral or vegetable oil and depend on dimethicone as an occlusive instead. The Aveeno products tout their "natural" oatmeal content, but in some varieties, the only active ingredient listed is dimethicone. The effectiveness of the occlusives varies.
Petrolatum is the best at holding in water, followed by lanolin, mineral oil, and the silicones. Theoretically, humectants pull water into the stratum corneum both from the air and from deeper layers of the skin. However, when the humidity is low, there's so little water in the air that almost all of the water comes from the inside out.
Some of the commonly used humectants include glycerin, honey, panthenol or vitamin B 5 , an example of a vitamin being used for its physical, not nutritional, properties , sorbitol which we are used to seeing as an artificial sweetener , and urea. Humectants can potentially make skin even drier by pulling water into a damaged, arid stratum corneum that doesn't hold moisturizer. So, as a practical matter, they are almost always used with occlusive ingredients that trap the moisture the humectants draw into the stratum corneum.
Emollients aren't in moisturizers to moisturize, but rather to make the skin feel smooth. Many ingredients that serve as occlusives — dimethicone is a good example — and humectants do double duty as emollients. Because of rubbing alcohol isopropyl alcohol , we tend to think of alcohols as drying — and out of place in moisturizers. But some alcohols octyldodecanol, for example are excellent emollients. Topical retinoic acid — a form of vitamin A — reduces fine lines and wrinkles in the skin by stimulating the production of collagen and is the main ingredient in prescription antiwrinkle creams.
But the vitamin A used in some moisturizers is retinyl palmitate, which has the virtue of being a very stable molecule but isn't nearly as biologically active as retinoic acid. It's unlikely that retinyl palmitate in the amounts found in moisturizers has much, if any, effect on collagen and wrinkles. If retinyl palmitate has a benefit, it may be as a humectant. Vitamin C, usually under the name ascorbic acid, and vitamin E, usually as tocopheryl acetate, are added because of their antioxidant properties.
Studies of topical vitamin C have shown some effects, but in high concentrations. Doubts linger about its usefulness in moisturizers because light and oxygen inactivate the vitamin C.
Vitamin E as tocopheryl acetate is biologically inactive and probably functions mainly as a preservative. Moisturizers that bill themselves as itch remedies like Sarna often contain menthol. Although menthol doesn't attack the underlying problem, the familiar cooling sensation does seem to cancel out the itching sensation.
Lactic acid. Skin over the heel can get especially thick, leathery, and dry. Try using a pumice stone or callus file to get rid of the outer layers of skin and then using a moisturizer like AmLactin to soften it up. Sometimes products containing lactic acid sting. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.
Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. Recent Blog Articles. Why is topical vitamin C important for skin health? Using a moisturizer can help skin retain moisture, alleviate dryness, and protect against environmental or external factors.
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