Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (2024)

Purified Water (Aqua)

Also-called: Aqua;Water | What-it-does: solvent

Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product.

It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water.

Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) is drying.

One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Like this, the products can stay more stable over time.

Organic Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Inner Leaf Juice* - goodie

Also-called: Aloe Vera;Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice | What-it-does: soothing, moisturizer/humectant

Aloe Vera is one of today’s magic plants. It does have some very nice properties indeed, though famous dermatologist Leslie Baumann warns us in her book that most of the evidence is anecdotal and the plant might be a bit overhyped.

What research does confirm about Aloe is that it’s a great moisturizer and has several anti-inflammatory (among others contains salicylates, polysaccharides, magnesium lactate and C-glucosyl chromone) as well as some antibacterial components. It also helps wound healing and skin regeneration in general. All in all definitely a goodie.

Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes - goodie

Also-called: Safflower Oleosomes | What-it-does: emollient, emulsion stabilising

In general, oleosomesare tiny-winy (micron sized) spheres that store emollient plant oils (+ some other things). In particular, Safflower Oleosomes are created from safflower seeds and carrysafflower seed oil and vitamin E.

According to the manufacturer, oleosomes work both as natural emulsifiers as well as time-released delivery systems. Oleosomes on the skin do not collapse at once, but slowly and they deliver the stored emollient plant oil and vitamin E over an extended period of time giving the skin long-lasting moisture.

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (1) We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Glycerin (Kosher) - superstar

Also-called: Glycerol | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

  • A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  • A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  • Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  • Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  • High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin

Read all the geeky details about Glycerin here >>

Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water* - goodie

Also-called: Coconut Water, Coconut Liquid Endosperm;Cocos Nucifera Water | What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

Coconut Water is the liquidinside the coconut and/or the juice pressed from the coconut fruit. It is a really nice and refreshing beverage loaded with good for the body and the skin things. It is about 95% of water and the other 5% are things such as skin-moisturizing sugars, skin nourishing amino acids, minerals, vitamins and phytohormones (kinetin).

This adds up to coconut water being a nice moisturizing and nourishing ingredient on the skin and it is also claimed to have some antioxidant and anti-glycation properties.

Cetearyl Glucoside

What-it-does: emulsifying, surfactant/cleansing

A sugar based emulsifier that's especially great for low viscosity lotions or even sprays. It's effective in small amounts, only 1-1.5% is needed to form an emulsion. The resulting cream or lotion has great cosmetic properties with good spreadability and an enhanced soft skin feel.

Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil - goodie

Also-called: Grape Seed Oil;Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient

A goodie plant oil coming from the polyphenol-rich seeds of the grape. It's a light emollient oil that makes your skin feel smooth and nice and also contains a bunch of good-for-the-skin stuff. It's a great source of antioxidant polyphenols, barrier repair fatty acid linoleic acid (about 55-77%, while oleic acid is about 12-27%)and antioxidant, skin-protectant vitamin E.

Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower

Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (2) We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride

What-it-does: emollient

A super common emollient that makes your skin feel nice and smooth. It comes from coconut oil and glycerin, it’s light-textured, clear, odorless and non-greasy. It’s a nice ingredient that just feels good on the skin, is super well tolerated by every skin type andeasy to formulate with. No wonder it’s popular.

Organic Ipomoea Batatas (Sweet Potato) Root Extract* (Rich In Vitamin A)

Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (3) We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Cetearyl Alcohol

What-it-does: emollient, viscosity controlling, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, surfactant/cleansing | Irritancy: 1 | Comedogenicity: 2

An extremely common multitasker ingredient that gives your skin a nice soft feel (emollient) and gives body to creams and lotions. It also helps to stabilize oil-water mixes (emulsions), though it does not function as an emulsifier in itself. Its typical use level in most cream type formulas is 2-3%.

It’s a so-called fatty alcohol, a mix of cetyl and stearyl alcohol, other two emollient fatty alcohols. Though chemically speaking, it is alcohol (as in, it has an -OH group in its molecule), its properties are totally different from the properties of low molecular weight or drying alcohols such as denat. alcohol. Fatty alcohols have a long oil-soluble (and thus emollient) tailpart that makes them absolutelynon-drying and non-irritating and are totally ok for the skin.

Diheptyl Succinate

What-it-does: emollient

Diheptyl Succinate is anatural, "silicone-alternative" emollient that usually comes to the formula withCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer. The two together is trade-namedLexFeel N and depending on their ratio, the duo can mimic both super light, Cyclomethicone-type skin feel as well as more viscous Dimethicone like skin feel.

Theduoalso plays well with pure natural oils, and it can reduce their greasiness and tackiness and make them feel nicer on the skin.LexFeel N is also very eco-friendly,100% natural (Ecocert approved), sustainable and biodegradable.

Cetearyl Olivate - goodie

Also-called: Part of Olivem 1000 | What-it-does: emulsifying

An ester that comes from Cetearyl alcohol and the fatty acids of olive oil. It oftencomes to the formula coupled with Sorbitan Olivateas the two together form the well-known, naturalemulsifier trade named Olivem 1000.

Other than helping oil and water to blend, the main thing of Olivem 1000 is generating liquid crystal structures that are similar to the lipid structures of the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the skin). Thanks to this, Olivem 1000 doubles as an active ingredient with significant moisturizing, barrier-repairing and soothing properties.

It also helps to deliver water-soluble actives such as caffeine more effectively, and can even boost SPF in sunscreen formulas. Itstypical use levelis 1-5% and has wide compatibility with other actives and oils.

Overall, areal multi-tasker with nice sensorial properties. No wonderit is so popular.

Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter* - goodie

Also-called: Cocoa Seed Butter;Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter | What-it-does: emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 4

Theobroma means "food of the gods" in Greek though probably "treat of the people" would be more spot on. The cacao fruits and especially the seeds in it need no introduction as everyone knows them as the magical raw material of the magical sweet treat,chocolate(the flavour is composed of more than 1200(!) substances, and the exact chemical nature of it is not really understood, so it's indeed magic. :)).

As for skincare, cocoa butter counts as a rich emollient that can moisturize and nourish even the driest skin (think chapped hands or lips). It's solid at room temperature and melts nicely when you smear it on. It's loaded with good-for-the-skin things: it contains fatty acids, mainly oleic (35%), stearic (34%), and palmitic (25%) and it also has antioxidant vitamin E and polyphenols.

An ex-vivo (made on human skin but not on real people) study examined the cocoa polyphenols and found that 0.5-0.75% of themimproved skin tone and elasticity and had a similarly positive impact on GAGs (important natural moisturizing factors in the skin) and collagen synthesis than a commercial high-end moisturizer (it was an Estee Lauder one).

All in all, cocoa butter is a goodie, especially for very dry skin.

Sorbitan Olivate - goodie

Also-called: Part of Olivem 1000 | What-it-does: emulsifying

An ester coming from sorbitol and the fatty acids of olive oil. It is part of the popular emulsifier trade named Olivem 1000 that is well-known for generating biomimeticliquid crystal structures. We have more info on Olivem 1000 at Cetearyl Olivate >>

Potassium Olivoyl Hydrolyzed Oat Protein

What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing

Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (4) We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Ethyl Macadamiate

Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (5) We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil* - goodie

Also-called: Sunflower Oil;Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil | What-it-does: emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

Sunflower does not need a big intro as you probably use it in the kitchen as cooking oil, or you munch on the seeds as a healthy snack or you adore its big, beautifulyellow flower during the summer - or you do all of these and probably even more. And by even more we mean putting it all overyour face as sunflower oil is one of the most commonly used plant oils in skincare.

It’s a real oldie: expressed directly from the seeds, the oil is used not for hundreds but thousands of years. According to The National Sunflower Association, there is evidencethat both the plant and its oil were used by American Indians in the area of Arizona and New Mexico about 3000 BC. Do the math: it's more than 5000 years – definitely an oldie.

Our intro did get pretty big after all (sorry for that), so let's get to the point finally: sunflower oil - similar to other plant oils - is a great emollient that makes the skin smooth and nice and helps to keep it hydrated. It also protects the surface of the skin and enhances the damaged or irritated skin barrier. Leslie Bauman notes in Cosmetic Dermatology that one application of sunflower oil significantly speeds up the recovery of the skin barrier within an hour and sustains the results 5 hours after using it.

It's also loaded withfatty acids(mostly linoleic (50-74%) and oleic (14-35%)). The unrefined version(be sure to use that on your skin!) is especially high in linoleic acid that is great even for acne-prone skin. Its comedogen index is 0, meaning that it's pretty much an all skin-type oil.

Truth be told, there are many great plant oils and sunflower oil is definitely one of them.

Tocopherol (Mixed Vitamin E) - goodie

Also-called: Vitamin E | What-it-does: antioxidant | Irritancy: 0-3 | Comedogenicity: 0-3

  • Primary fat-soluble antioxidant in our skin
  • Significant photoprotection against UVB rays
  • Vit C + Vit E work in synergy and provide great photoprotection
  • Has emollient properties
  • Easy to formulate, stable and relatively inexpensive

Read all the geeky details about Tocopherol here >>

Capryloyl Glycerin/​Sebacic Acid Copolymer

The friend ofDiheptyl Succinate as the duo is usually used together and is touted as anatural silicone alternative. Read more there >>

Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract - goodie

Also-called: Oat Kernel Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, emollient, abrasive/scrub

When you hear oatmeal, you probably think of breakfast, but the finely ground version ofwhole oat kernels, aka colloidal oatmeal, can do good things for your skin, especially if it's dry, itchy or prone to skin-rashes oreczema.

Oat is loaded with compounds good for the body, inside or outside, such as soothing agent beta-glucan(5%), lipids (3-11%) including barrier repairing omega-3 and 6 fatty acids or phenolic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents (avenanthramides).

The soothing, antioxidant and skin-protecting abilities of oat are so well-established that it is an active natural ingredient coveredby the FDA OTC Skin Protectantmonograph in the US, meaning that colloidaloatmeal can be claimed as an active ingredient on the INCI list and Aveeno is a mass-market brand built around oat-containing products.

If your skin is dry, irritated, inflamed or eczema-prone, colloidal oatmeal is something to try.

Organic Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Oil* - goodie

Also-called: Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil;Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient

The oil coming from the pulp of the sea buckthorn berry. It has a pretty unique fatty acid composition: 65% is a combination of the rare Omega-7, aka palmitoleic acid and the more common palmitic acid. Fatty acids give the oil nice moisturizing and skin-protecting abilities.

But that's not all the goodness ofsea buckthornoil. It contains antioxidant superstar, Vitamin E (in multiple forms), antioxidant (and orange color giving) pigments beta-carotene and lycopene, as well as skin-soothing and replenishing beta-sitosterol.

Btw, used undiluted, it will make your skin orange.

All in all, a goodie emollient plant oil.

Organic Plukenetia Volubilis (Sacha Inchi) Seed Oil* - goodie

Also-called: Sacha Inchi Seed Oil;Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/humectant

An emollient plant oil coming from theSacha Inchi plant from the Colombian Amazon.

Similar to other plant oils, it's loaded with nourishing and moisturizing fatty acids: it's especially rich in α-Linolenic acid (42-49%) and linoleic acid (32-38%) and contains less oleic acid (9-14%). It also contains a decent amount ofantioxidant vitamin E (200 mg/kg).

Menaquinone-7 (Vitamin K2)

Also-called: Vitamin K2 | What-it-does: astringent, skin brightening, sunscreen

Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (6) We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Organic Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil* - goodie

Also-called: Borage Seed Oil, Starflower Seed Oil;Borago Officinalis Seed Oil | What-it-does: soothing, emollient

We feel that this one is a bit under the radar probably because the Borage plant is not very well known. Maybe because its name isn't as cool as some others, it's hard to compete withkukui or baobab, not to mention murumuru. But let us tell you when it comes to skin care, borage seed oil is one of the best oils that can happen to your skin. Especially, if it's dry, sensitive, easily irritated, often itchy or eczema prone.

So what is so special about it? It is the richest known plant source of thesuper important essential fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA is soothing and nourishing, and can repair even severelydry and irritated skin, but it's pretty rare and borage contains by far the most of it (17-28%). Next to GLA, it also contains more common fatty acids, like linoleic (36%), oleic (18%) or palmitic acid (10%).

If your skin is dry and sensitive,this one is totally for you.

Organic Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil* - goodie

Also-called: Rosehip Seed Oil, Rosa Mosqueta Seed Oil, Rosa Eglanteria Seed Oil;Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient

The oil coming from the seeds of the wild rose bush most common in the southern Andes in Chile (btw, Rosa Rubiginosa, Rosa Eglanteria and Rosa Mosqueta all refer to the same oil, however, the more commonly used Rosa Canina is a bit different). Similar to many other great plant oils, it is a nice nourishing and moisturizing oilloaded with fatty acids (linoleic acid - 44%, linolenic acid - 34% and oleic acid - 14%).

What makes rosehip oil aspecial snowflake among all the plant oils out there is that it also contains the miracle active, trans-retinoic acid, aka tretinoin. It is the main bioactive component of the oil and has all kinds of magic abilities including restoring and regenerating tissues (the oil is great for scars and burns), decreasing wrinkles, helping acne and even normalizing pore size.

Just one more note: a study found that the tretinoin content of rosehip seed oil greatly depends on the extraction method. The oil coming from cold pressing contained seven times more tretinoin (0.357 ml/l) than the oil from organic solvent extraction. Alwaysgo for the cold-pressed version!

Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil - goodie

Also-called: Cranberry Seed Oil | What-it-does: emollient

Ayellow-greenish oil coming from the seeds of Cranberry. Similar to other emollient plant oils, it is loaded with nice fatty acids. It contains a very balanced 1:1 ratio of anti-inflammatory omega-3 (aka linolenic acid) and barrier repairing omega-6 (aka linoleic acid) (30-38%), and also a decent amount of skin-nourishing omega-9, aka oleic acid. It also has high vitamin E content and significant antioxidant properties.

Other than being a nice emollient plant oil, we also found a research showing that cranberry oil has wound-healing potential.

Organic Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) Seed Oil* - goodie

Also-called: Linseed Oil, Flaxseed Oil;Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil | What-it-does: emollient, perfuming

The oil coming from the plantLinum Usitatissimum or commonly called Flax. If you are into healthy eating, you probably know flaxseeds as a rich source of hard-to-eat-enough omega-3 fatty acids, or if you are into fashion, you probably have some light summer cloth made from linen.

As for skincare, flaxseed oil is one of the few natural plant oils that is a rich source (35-65%) ofmoisturizing and probably anti-inflammatory ω-3 fatty acid, aka linolenic acid. It also contains skin-nourishingoleic acid (11-35%) and barrier repairing linoleic acid (11-24%).

According to manufacturer claims, it is used as an emollient, anti-inflammatory and healing agent and it is well-known to create smooth and soft skin.

Arnica Montana Flower Extract - icky

Also-called: Mountain Arnica Extract | What-it-does: perfuming

A nice yellow flower living in the mountains. It has been used as a herbal medicine for centuries, though itseffect on skin is rather questionable. It's most famously used to treat bruisings, but there are some studies that show that it's not better than placebo (source: wikipedia). Also, some consider it to be anti-inflammatory, while other research shows that it can cause skin irritation.

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C Ester) - goodie

Also-called: Form of Vitamin C, SAP | What-it-does: antioxidant, anti-acne

The sodium salt form of skincare superstar, vitamin C. If you do not know what the big fuss about vitamin C is, you are missing outand you have to click here and read all the geeky details about it.

Pure vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid, AA) is great and all, but its lack of stability is a big challenge for the cosmetics industry. Onesolutionis to create stable derivativesthat can be absorbed into the skin, convert there to AA and do all the magic AA is proven to do (which is being an antioxidant, a collagen booster, and a skin brightener).

SAP (the vit C derivative, not the enterprise software, obvs) is a promising derivative that has great stability up to pH 7. The challenge with it thoughisskin penetration. Unfortunately, it seems to be limited, or to quote a great article from theJournal of Cosmetic Dermatology "topically applied ascorbyl phosphate salts are, at very best, poorly absorbed in comparison with AA". Regarding conversion to AA, there seems to be no data about it, so we can neither deny nor confirm it.

We have better news regarding the three magic abilities of vitamin C: there is in-vivo (tested on real people) data showing that SAP does have photo-protective (aka antioxidant) properties, though less than pure AA. SAP might also aidcollagen boosting;in-vitro (made in the lab) data shows that it works, but is less effective than another vitamin C derivative, called MAP (that seems to be as effective as pure AA). As for skin-brightening, there is a trade publication with in-vivo data showing that SAP can fade brown spots.

Another thing SAP might be able to do is to help with acne. A 2005 study showed in vitro (in test tubes) that 1% SAP has a strong antimicrobial activity on evil acne causing P. acnes and it also showed in vivo (on real people) that 5% SAP can strongly improvethe inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions of acne vulgaris. In fact, the results were comparable or even slightly better than with 5% benzoyl peroxide.

And there is even more regarding SAP and acne. A nice double-blind study from 2009 showed that 5% SAP reduced the inflammatory lesions by 20.14% and 48.82% within 4 and 8 weeks respectively and when combined with 0.2% retinol the results were even better. With this combination treatment, the improvement was 29.28% after 4 weeks and 63.10% after 8 weeks of application.

Aside from research studies, anecdotal evidence also supports SAP being a promising vitamin C derivative. One of the best-selling (vitamin C) serums in Sephora is the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum, while on Amazon it's the OzNaturalsVitamin C 20 Serum. Another popular choice is the Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum, and all of these contain vitamin C in the form of SAP.

Overall, we think SAP is a goody! In terms of anti-aging, it's probably not as effective as pure Ascorbic Acid, but it's totally worth a try. However, if your skin is acne-prone, SAP is yourform of Vitamin C and it's a must-try.

Organic Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil* - goodie

Also-called: Pomegranate Seed Oil;Punica Granatum Seed Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient

The emollient plant oil coming from the seeds ofPomegranate. The red fruit has lots of seeds (100-200 per fruit), but 7 kg of them are needed for 1 kg of oil. Among the many similar plant oils, Pomegranate oil is a really unique one, as its main fatty acid (60%) is a rare one called punic acid, a so-called conjugated fatty acid with three double bonds. It also contains the common linoleic (2-10%) and oleic acids (3-12%), but only in small amounts.

Punic acid is thought to be a biologically activecompound, a powerful anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant agent. The oil itself is also claimed to have strong antioxidant properties as well as having excellent nourishing and moisturizingabilities. On top of that, we also found a research that examinedPomegranate as a cosmeceutical source and it concluded that the seed oil can nicely promote the regeneration of the epidermis (the top layer of the skin).

Ascorbic Acid 2 Glucoside (Vitamin C) - goodie

Also-called: Form of Vitamin C;Ascorbyl Glucoside | What-it-does: antioxidant, skin brightening

A form of skincare superstar, vitamin C. If you do not know why vitamin C is such a big deal in skincare, we have a really detailed, geeky description that's good to read. :)

So now you know that because pure vitamin C is such a diva (very unstable and hard to formulate) the cosmetic industry is trying to come up with some derivatives that have the badass anti-aging properties of vitamin C (antioxidant protection + collagen boosting + fading hyperpigmentation) but without the disadvantages. This is a hard task, and there is not yet a derivative that is really proven to be better in every aspect, butAscorbyl Glucoside is one of the best options when it comes to vitamin C derivatives. Let's see why:

First, it's really stable and easy to formulate,so the problems that come with pure vitamin C are solved here.

Second, in vitro (meaning made in the lab, not on real humans) studies show that ascorbyl glucoside can penetrate the skin. This is kind of important for an anti-aging ingredient to do the job, so this is good news, though in-vivo (made on real humans) studies are still needed.

Third, in-vitro studies show that after ascorbyl glucoside is absorbed into the skin it is converted to pure vitamin C (though the rate of conversion is still a question mark). It alsoshows all the three anti-aging benefits (antioxidant protection + collagen boosting + fading hyperpigmentation) that pure vitamin C does.

Bottom line:ascorbyl glucoside is one of the best and most promising vitamin C derivativesthat shows similar benefits to that of pure vitamin C, but it's less proven (in vivo vs. in vitro studies) and the extent of the benefits are also not the same.

Manihot Esculenta (Tapioca) Root Starch - goodie

Also-called: INSTENSYL;Hydrolyzed Manihot Esculenta Tuber Extract

Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (7) We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Thioctic (Alpha Lipoic) Acid - goodie

Also-called: Alpha-Lipoic Acid | What-it-does: antioxidant

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a great antioxidant that's also part of the body's natural antioxidant system. It's soluble both in water-richand lipid-rich environmentsso it's versatile and can interact with many typesof evil oxidants as well as other nice antioxidants.

ALA seems to be a great choice for topical use as studies show it can penetrate the skin rapidly where it's converted to DHLA (dihydrolipoic acid), an even more potent antioxidant molecule. A nicely designed (we mean double-blind, placebo-controlled) 12-week study from 2003 confirmed that 5% ALA cream can decreaseskin roughness and improve general signs ofphotoaging statistically significantly. A slight catch, though, is thatburning and warmth in the skin was quite a common side effect, especially in the first 4 weeks.

All in all, ALA is definitely a research-proven, great antioxidant but if your skin is sensitive higher concentrations might not be for you.

Squalane (Olive) Oil - goodie

What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, emollient | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

It seems to us that squalane is in fashion and there is a reason for it. Chemically speaking, it is a saturated (no double bonds) hydrocarbon (a molecule consisting only of carbon and hydrogen), meaning that it's a nice and stable oily liquid with a long shelf life.

It occurs naturally in certain fish and plant oils (e.g. olive), and in the sebum (the oily stuff our skin produces) of the human skin. As f.c. puts it in his awesome blog post, squalane's main things are"emolliency, surface occlusion, and TEWL prevention all with extreme cosmetic elegance". In other words, it's a superb moisturizer that makes your skin nice and smooth, withoutbeing heavy or greasy.

Another advantage of squalane is that it is pretty much compatible with all skin types and skin conditions. It isexcellent for acne-prone skin and safe to use even if you have fungi-related skin issues, likeseborrhea or fungal acne.

The unsaturated (with double bonds) and hence less stable version ofSqualane is Squalene, youcan read about it here >>

Xanthan Gum

What-it-does: viscosity controlling, emulsion stabilising

It's one of the most commonly used thickeners and emulsion stabilizers. If the product is too runny, a little xanthan gum will make it more gel-like.Used alone, it can make the formula sticky and it is a good team player so it is usually combined with other thickeners and so-calledrheology modifiers (helper ingredients that adjust the flow and thus the feel of the formula). The typical use level of Xantha Gum is below 1%, it is usually in the 0.1-0.5% range.

Btw, Xanthan gum is all natural, a chain of sugar molecules (polysaccharide) produced from individual sugar molecules (glucose and sucrose) via fermentation. It’s approved by Ecocert and also used in the food industry(E415).

Ubiquinone (Coq10) - goodie

Also-called: Coenzyme Q10 | What-it-does: antioxidant

Thanks to Nivea, Q10 is a pretty well-known ingredient and the fame and Beiersdorf's (the parent company of Nivea) obsession with it are not for no reason. It's an antioxidant found naturally in human cells where it plays a bigrole in energy production.

In fact, it's so important for energy production that if taken as an oral supplement it has a caffeine-like effectand if taken at night you will probably not sleep very well(so you should take it in the morning). Q10 supplementation is not a bad idea: it not only gives you energy but research also shows that oral Q10 increases the Q10 level of the skin (of course, it decreases with age like pretty much every good thing in the skin) and may help to reduce wrinkles. If you are not for supplements, dietary sources include fish, spinach, and nuts.

As for skincare, Q10 comes in the form of a yellow, oil-soluble powder that's shown to absorb into the upper layer of the skin and act there like an awesome antioxidant. Itnot only has preventative effects but might also be able to reduce the depth of wrinkles, though 0.3% Q10 was used in the study that counts as really high (products containing that much should be very yellow!).

Allantoin - goodie

What-it-does: soothing | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

Super common soothing ingredient. It can be found naturally in the roots & leaves of the comfrey plant, but more often than not what's in the cosmeticproductsis produced synthetically.

It's not only soothing but it' also skin-softening and protecting and can promote wound healing.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

What-it-does: chelating

A chelating agent that helps to preserve cosmetic products by neutralizing the metal ions (especially iron) in the formula (that usually get into there from water). Its special thing is that it also acts as abiostatic and fungistatic agent and remains active even at high pH.

It is often coupled withantimicrobial glycols(such as propanediol) to create a "preservative free preservative system" for cosmetic products.

Malic Acid - goodie

What-it-does: exfoliant, buffering

Malic acid comes from apple and is an AHA. If these magic three letters don’t tell you anything, click here and read our detailed description on glycolic acid, the most famous AHA.

So malic acid is an exfoliant, that can - just like other AHAs - gently lift off the dead skin cells of your skin and make it more smooth and fresh.

There is not much research out there about malic acid itself. We could find one comparative study, thatcompared the effectiveness of glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and malic acid. The first two ones were the winners while malic and citric acid were less effective.

Caprylyl Glycol

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, emollient, deodorant

It’s a handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel. At the same time, it also boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives, such as the nowadays super commonly used phenoxyethanol.

The blend of these two (caprylyl glycol + phenoxyethanol) is called Optiphen, which not only helps to keep your cosmetics free from nasty things for a long time but also gives a good feel to the finished product. It's a popular duo.

Xylitol - goodie

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

A type of sugar that's part of a moisturizing trio called Aquaxyl. You can read more about its magic properties atxylitylglucoside.

Potassium Sorbate

What-it-does: preservative

It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. It’s not a strong one and doesn’t really work against bacteria, but more against mold and yeast. To do that it has to break down to its active form, sorbic acid. For that to happen, there has to be water in the product and the right pH value (pH 3-4).

But even if everything is right, it’s not enough on its own. If you see potassium sorbate you should see some other preservative next to it too.

BTW, it’s also a food preservativeand even has an E number, E202.

Natural Fragrance Oils

This ingredient name is not according to the INCI-standard. :( What, why?!

Aroma Naturals Vitamin K Crème ingredients (Explained) (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Mr. See Jast

Last Updated:

Views: 5639

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mr. See Jast

Birthday: 1999-07-30

Address: 8409 Megan Mountain, New Mathew, MT 44997-8193

Phone: +5023589614038

Job: Chief Executive

Hobby: Leather crafting, Flag Football, Candle making, Flying, Poi, Gunsmithing, Swimming

Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.