A Guide on Skin Care Terminologies

Finding the right product for your skin can be overwhelming, challenging and totally confusing. There are just too many products, highfalutin words, and volumes of information which can fog your mind. Skin care is a personal thing. No two skins are alike. You have to find what is best for you, and it starts with knowing your skin type. Do you have oily, dry or combination or sensitive skin? This information will help you make the right choice.

This article endeavours to shed light on some skin care terminologies to help you sort through the fog. What product should you use, hypoallergenic, natural, organic, cruelty-free, vegan or cruelty-free vegan skin care product?

Hypoallergenic

This refers to products which cause fewer allergic reactions than other cosmetic or skin care products. Manufacturers are obligated to indicate ingredients on their product labels so consumers can check and identify if the product contains their allergen. Consumers are advised to always check labels. It is advisable that you know your allergen.

Fact: There are no Federal standards in the use of the term “hypoallergenic.”

Allergen

An allergen is a substance which causes an allergic reaction to a person. Each person has a different allergen. As an example, Person A may be sensitive to pollen while, Person B is not. Therefore, pollen is the allergen for Person A. There are preservatives known to cause skin allergies like parabens, imidazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, phenoxyethanol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and formaldehyde.

Fact: There is no product which can guarantee a non-allergic reaction.

TIP: To test for an allergic reaction, put a drop of the product inside your forearm and observe, for a few days, if you will develop any allergic reaction.

Natural

This refers to products which were produced from natural raw materials, not artificial or synthetic.

Organic

This refers to products which use ingredients grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

Vegan

Vegan skin care products do not use animal-sourced ingredients. Some vegan ingredients are aloe, shea butter, grapeseed extract, green tea. Vegan products do not use the following materials:

• Honey – bee
• Beeswax – bee
• Lanolin – sheep’s wool
• Collagen – bone, skin, connective tissues (cattle, fish, horse, pig, rabbits)
• Carmine – shells of cochineal beetle
• Cholesterol – all tissues of the animal body
• Gelatin – skin, bones, connection tissue (cattle, chicken, pig, fish)
• Squalene – shark livers
• Stearic acid – stomach of pigs, cows, sheep
• Shellac – lac bugs
• Guanine – fish scales
• Glycerin – animal fats

Fact: Not all vegan skin care product is cruelty-free because a few brands may have been through some animal testing.

Cruelty-free

This refers to products which:

1. Do not use animal for test and research.
2. Do not contain animal products such as honey and beeswax.
3. Do not contain animal-based ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.

Cruelty-free Vegan

This refers to products which do not use animal-sourced materials and do not use animals for test and research.

Fact: To ensure that you get a cruelty-free vegan skin care product, check the label for a leaping bunny logo. The stamp will appear on the product label to certify that manufacturers did not use animals to test the product

Author Bio: Alison Lurie is a copywriter and content strategist. She helps businesses stop playing around with content marketing and start seeing the tangible ROI. She loves writing as much as she loves the cake.