Raw materials in cosmetics

Raw materials are the foundation for formulating perfect and effective cosmetics for our skin.
Whether they are vegetable oils, humectants, fragrances, or essential oils, it is necessary to get to know more closely the cosmetic raw materials that you use or have used to take care of your face, body, and hair.
Only by becoming familiar with raw materials, preferably natural ones, is it possible to understand the quality of a cosmetic's composition and its effectiveness.

In this article, we analyze the main raw materials used in the formulation of cosmetics, in order to make an informed choice about the cosmetic that is right for us.

Surfactants

They are essential ingredients for producing surfactants, which include shampoos, shower gels, bubble baths, and other cleansing cosmetics. They are the main 'washing agents', those that produce the much-loved foam, and the most well-known and widely used are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). These surfactants are not used in eco-bio cosmetics, as they are considered too aggressive and degreasing for the skin (if not buffered).

Emulsifiers and solubilizers 

They are found in emulsions, that is, products formed by the mixture of an aqueous phase and an oily phase, such as creams, milks, and balms. Without the emulsifier, in fact, water and oil repel each other and tend to separate. Most cosmetics, at least in Italy, are formulated as "oil in water" emulsions, and the most well-known emulsifier is certainly Glyceryl Stearate.

Lipids 

They are fundamental ingredients for emulsions and are also part of the composition of lipsticks, lip balms, and other oil-based products. In eco-bio cosmetics, vegetable oils and butters from organic farming are obviously used. Shea butter is certainly one of the most well-known and widely used lipid-origin ingredients in cosmetic formulation.

Humectants 

They are substances that are added to cosmetics to prevent evaporation. They are used for the same purpose on the skin, to prevent dehydration. Glycerin is the most famous and widely used, as well as being completely natural. Among other humectants commonly used in the world of cosmetics, especially in organic ones, we can also find aloe gel.

Antioxidants 

They are useful both for preventing the deterioration of a product and for skin care. The most popular antioxidants in biocosmetics are vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (tocopherol).

A fundamental ingredient that has not been listed, but is also a raw material, is water. Most commercial cosmetics are primarily made up of water, sometimes up to 90% of the composition, and it is important that it meets specific chemical-physical requirements and microbiological purity.

However, when talking about cosmetic ingredients, it is important to pay attention to companies that use a slogan mentioning the significant use of natural and organic raw materials to promote a product.
"With the fervor that has developed in recent years around the world of biocosmetics, in fact, many companies rely on some very well-known natural raw materials, without there being any actual relevance within the formulation of the product itself."

This is why, in addition to knowing the different types of raw materials that may be present in the products we use on our skin, it is important to know how to read the INCI Name, that is, the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, which describes all the ingredients used in the formulation, along with their respective percentage of presence.