Science Essay

Chemistry

The Skintellectual

A new era marked by knowledge and passion in the world of cosmetics

Within weeks of the new year, economists, dermatologists, and marketers had already dubbed 2018 the year of “skintellectualism” – a trend in the rapidly growing beauty industry wherein consumers without a scientific background are concerned with the scientific properties of their products. By January 2019, industry insiders realized skintellectualism had become more than a trend and instead was a new era of cosmetic consumerism.

Skintellectuals do more than just read the ingredients written on the back of their favorite face wash. In just a few words, they can glean a skincare item’s efficacy, potency, and chemical reactivity with a level of accuracy once assumed to be exclusive to chemists.

Unbeknownst to the average cosmetic consumer, the order of ingredients listed on a skincare label correlates to the relative amount of each component in the formulation. However, information as fundamental as the hierarchy system of ingredient lists disseminates throughout the skintellectual community by way of articles, podcasts, and well-trained beauty counter sales associates.

But don’t be mistaken; the ingredients themselves matter, too.

Cosmetic companies spend billions of dollars on research and development when creating a new product. Thanks to skintellectuals, the specifics of what goes into the R&D process means more than it ever has before.  Chemicals like formaldehyde no longer appear on labels while newly discovered materials like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are becoming the go-to skincare ingredient. Ask a formulation chemist or chemical engineer to explain what “alpha hydroxy acid” is an they will all happily oblige. Direct an identical question to a skintellectual and they’ll likely clue you in on the history of AHA’s laboratory discovery as well as the defining factors of molecules within the AHA subcategory. What skintellectuals lack in chemistry academia they make up for in passionate research into their beauty cabinet mainstays. They may not know what elements make up the core of the earth, but skintellectuals hold all the information on the microscopic ingredients they slather onto their glowing skin each morning and night.

Alpha hydroxy acids appear within the ingredient lists of most brightening and age-defying skincare, but glycolic acid stands as the most versatile AHA. Skintellectuals know the glycolic acid listed in the ingredient lineup of their favorite toner is the smallest hydroxy acid stable enough for human skin. The hydroxyl groups – made up of a single oxygen atom covalently bonded to a single hydrogen atom – on either end of glycolic acid’s carbon backbone react readily with H₂O molecules. When combined in an over-the-counter (OTC) formula, glycolic acid and water produce a homogenous, lightweight substance easily applied to sun-damaged, dry skin in the form of cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and serums.

Skintellectuals don’t just know this; they know a cleanser with 5% glycolic acid contains just the right amount of active ingredients to help the stratum germinativum, the bottom layer of the epidermis, begin replenishing their dying skin cells at an accelerated rate. The average person’s skin takes twenty-seven days to regenerate a new dermal layer. With the help of glycolic infused skincare, skintellectuals see a glowing, new stratum corneum, the top most layer of the epidermis, every week.

They also know that a toner with 5% glycolic acid will not have the potency to rejuvenate the skin dullness they are likely trying to combat. The ingredients matter, but so do the products the ingredients appear within. Formulation chemists engineer facial toners as one of the most efficacious products in a skintellectuals beauty routine. Greater amounts of active ingredients with higher percent compositions are expected and skintellectuals demand that expectation is met. As they look on a toner’s label, a search for an 8% or even 10% glycolic acid denotation ensues. The molecule is still the same. Glycolic acid is still an AHA. But despite acknowledging that consistently true information, skintellectuals know more and dig deeper. The order of ingredients matters, but so do the ingredients themselves. And even when the ingredient hierarchy and the ingredient list pass the rigorous test for a skintellectual’s approval, the product category must be brought into consideration.

Those who said beauty is pain should have said “beauty is complicated” because skintellectualism isn’t for the faint of heart.