ASEA Product Ingredients

H2O! Water is the biggest and most common ingredient in all of skin care! 

Water acts as a solvent, meaning it’s able to dissolve and contain certain ingredients, enhancing their functionality. Some ingredients prefer to be dissolved in oil, but many prefer water. 

Once water has penetrated the skin, it can be hydrating. But too much water, like from a long soak, can cause your skin to dry out. That’s why skin care products use other ingredients to improve skin hydration.

Skin care water, as with all ASEA products, is always deionized. This ensures that all mineral ions are removed. When water is at its purest, the ingredients dissolved within can remain stable for longer.

Glycerin (aka glycerol or glycerine) has been a popular skin care ingredient for over 50 years– and for good reasons!

It is a skin-identical ingredient,  found naturally in the outermost layer of our skin (known as the stratum corneum). Anytime our skin comes into contact with glycerin, it knows it’s a safe molecule that can be absorbed readily.

Glycerin’s primary job is as a natural moisturizing factor. These are ingredients found naturally in skin, to help skin cells cling to and retain water. This clingy type of moisturizing is what makes glycerin a humectant.

Beyond keeping skin hydrated, studies have shown glycerin to:
1. maintain the balance of salts and water in the fluid between skin cells (a process known as osmoregulation)
2. keep cell membranes and skin barriers healthy (by maintaining the liquid crystal state of intracellular lipids)
3. even out shedding in dry skin
4. and minimize skin irritations
We love multi-purpose ingredients!

Furthermore, for those with very dry skin, research suggests that products with higher concentrations of glycerin (25%-40%) instantly hydrated AND held more moisture over time SIGNIFICANTLY better than products with low glycerin (less than 6%). So if you’re in need of skin healing, a concentrated glycerin moisturizer may be right for you…

HOWEVER, please note that pure 100% glycerin is NEVER used in skin care because too much glycerin can pull water out of deeper skin layers. When that water is in the upper skin layers, some of it will inevitably evaporate. Your skin can dry out this way, in a process called trans-epidermal-water loss. 

Therefore, there’s an optimal amount of glycerin to use! It’s effective from as low as 3%, with greater healing benefits up to 40%. For most people, 10% offers the smoothest, non-sticky product, capable of giving new life to your skin!

We referenced [this site] and the following sources to do this write up, so for more info, feel free to check it out!
Leslie Baumann, MD, Cosmetic Dermatology, 2nd edition, Glycerin- pages 275
The Journal of investigative dermatology., 2005 Aug;125(2):288-93., Is endogenous glycerol a determinant of stratum corneum hydration in humans?
Dry Skin and Moisturizers: Chemistry and Function, Marie Loden, Howard I. Maibach, chapter 20: Glycerol — Just a Moisturizer? Biological and Biophysical Effects

We know it has the word “alcohol” in it, but trust us when we say that cetearyl alcohol is VERY DIFFERENT from the drying alcohol types you may be familiar with. They’re so different in fact, that the FDA allows products to be called “alcohol-free” even if it contains cetearyl alcohol! (FYI “alcohol” just means it contains an -OH group in the molecule.)

Cetearyl alcohol is a common skin care emollient, an ingredient used to make your skin soft and smooth! It’s able to do this because unlike drying (denatured, small molecule) alcohols, cetearyl alcohol molecules contain long, fatty tails.

The fatty tails are what make it gentle and safe to use! Additionally, cetearyl alcohol is great for viscosity controlling, to make the overall product thick and slippy. It’s also an emulsifying agent, to help other ingredients mix together (especially ones that like oil vs. ones that like water). And lastly, it acts as a surfactant, to help the product spread evenly, by lower the surface tension of the product.

This newer ingredient has blasted into the skin care scene, winning GOLD in the 2019 In-Cosmetics Asia “Innovation Zone Best Ingredient Award”! Since then it’s been included in over 48 products (that we know of any way).

Extracted from the Cherimoya, a South American fruit, this ingredient has been carefully selected to power your redox system. 

The cherimoya is a known adaptogen, a plant used in herbal medicine to help regulate bodily stress, and restore homeostatic balance. More specifically, this ingredient reduces skin inflammation by supporting the endocannabinoid system that heavily depends on redox signaling molecules! Less inflammation means our skin can become less sensitive, and therefore less itchy!

Want more detail? Learn about the ingredient [directly from the manufacturer], or read about the [link between redox homeostasis and the endocannabinoid system]!
Lipina, C., & Hundal, H. S. (2016). Modulation of cellular redox homeostasis by the endocannabinoid system. Open biology, 6(4), 150276. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsob.150276

Although it may be strange to think about, your skin’s health is dependent on the health of your skin’s microbiome!

According to [Nature], scientists have discovered that there’s constant cellular communication between skin cells, immune cells, and skin bacteria. These “conversations” are what enables our bodies to renew cells, repair skin barriers, deal with inflammation, and improve skin defense against foreign invaders and UV damage!

Lactococcus ferment lysate is a postbiotic ingredient, meaning that it’s similar to probiotics, in that both promote/regenerate “good bacteria”. BUT unlike probiotics which use live cultures, postbiotics are by-products of fermented live bacteria. This way you’re feeding your skin microbiome the good stuff, without the need to preserve live cultures. Confused about probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics? We were too, before we read [this article]!

By keeping the culture alive, this ingredient has been shown to help skin resist sun damage, and therefore prevent skin aging. Note that it’s not a replacement for sunscreen, but every bit towards younger looking skin goes a long way!

Sources: [1] [2]
Nature 588, S209 (2020) *doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03523-7*

Another common skin care substance! Pentylene glycol is an ingredient that binds well to waterm, making it a good solvent to dissolve other ingredients, and a good moisturizer/humectant that helps skin cling onto and retain water.

It also helps give products a silky feel, and has some preservative properties.

Derived from coconut oil and glycerin, this common ingredient is an emollient, excellent at making your skin silky smooth.

The fatty acids within are also great at gently moisturizing skin, and increasing the spreadability of product formulas, all while being odorless.

With its light-weight texture and non-greasy feel, this ingredient remains ever popular.

Another safe-to-use emollient, added to keep skin smooth. But this time, this ingredient is derived from olive oil!

On skin it can be occlusive, meaning it forms a protective layer/barrier. But instead of suffocating skin, it actually prevents moisture from escaping, ensuring your skin stays hydrated in dry enviroments.

Because it’s odorless and has a non-sticky feel, this ingredient is popular— especially for those seeking replacements for silicone-based products!

Jojoba esters are fatty acids derived from jojoba oil. When working together with glycerin, it offers great emollient properties, helping skin feel nice and smooth.  It’s also a moisturizer/humectant that helps skin cells bind to and retain water. 

Since jojoba oil is high in antioxidants, this ingredient alos helps soothe skin of inflammation.

Truly one of the most researched and beloved skin care ingredients of all time— niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3! Let’s go over its properties 🙂

We always emphasize the importance of cell communication in health products, because it’s what enables ALL body processes! Niacinamide is a well-known cell-communicating ingredient. It functions as a chemical signal, activating biological pathways responsible for… (but not limited to):

1. Anti-aging — One reason why skin starts to sag and wrinkle with age is due to the eventual slowing production of key proteins. Niacinamide counteracts this! Studies have shown niacinamide to boost the production of collagen (which strengthens tissues, and maintains skin elasticity), keratin (which helps heal surface wounds, and makes up our hair and nails), filaggrin (which binds together keratin bundles to form skin barriers), and involucrin (which gives structural support to skin, and helps resist infections). Usually, these studies used 4% concentration of niacinamide, so to target anti-aging, those formulas may be your best bet!

2.Skin-brightening — Dark spots, aka hyperpigmentation, can be a stubborn issue for those who want a more even skin tone. Niacinamide helps fade out dark spots by preventing melanin (pigments produced by skin cells), from ever reaching the top layer of skin. This is a bit unique from other skin-brightening product. Ones like vitamin C reduce melanin production by inhibiting an enzyme known as tyrosinase. If you want to really tackle those dark spots, try a multi-target strategy of combining niacinamide with vitamin C! 2-5% Niacinamide has been used in hyperpigmentation studies!

3.Repairing the Skin Barrier — Skin is one of the most significant organs in the body! The skin barrier needs to keep moisture in, and keep harmful stuff out. And the strength of your skin barrier depends on the composition of fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides, found between skin cells. 2% niacinamide has been shown to increase all three! And decrease water loss! Products containing ceramides are also highly recommended! Ceramides are found naturally in the body, and are necessary to bind skin cells together, ensure they’re properly spaced, enable intracellular communication, and promote moisture retention.

4. Anti-acne + Pore Refinement — Sebum are little balls of oil and wax that the body produces to retain moisture in the skin barrier. However, it’s also commonly overproduced in people. This leads to enlarged, clogged pores prone to breakout. Since niacinamide regulates sebum and is anti-inflammatory, it’s found success in reducing the visability of pores, and in treating acne across many clincal trials.

5.Other Benefits — Niacinamide has also been shown to promote skin cell growth, help wound healing, protect and repair against UV damage, and may be helpful for those with rosacea.

Since it remains a stable molecule regardless of heat and sunlight, niacinamide is suitable for skin care routines at any time of day!

Sources:
Wohlrab J, Kreft D. Niacinamide – Mechanisms of Action and Its Topical Use in Dermatology. Skin Pharmacol Physiol2014, 27, 311–315
Salomon D et al. Cell-to-Cell Communication within Intact Human Skin.  Clin. Invest. 1988. 82. 248-254
and these articles [1] [2] [3]!

As an emollient and an emulsifying ingredient, glyceryl stearate is used to keep your skin smooth, and help mix together water-loving and oil-loving ingredients.

It’s found naturally in the human body, making it safe enough to even be used as a food additive!

This ingredient is a gentle surfactant, meaning it’s used to help products spread evenly, by lowering the surface tension of the formula.

Derived from natural olive oil and oats, one part of the molecule is attracted to oily substances (the lipophilic olive oil side), while the other is attracted to water-based substances (the hydrophilic oat protein side). Because of this, the ingredient also has mild cleansing properties.

Dimethicone is a very common non-volatile silicone emollient, added to make skin feel silky smooth without getting greasy. It’s a FDA classified “skin protectant” because of its occlusive properties, meaning it forms a protective barrier on the skin. The barrier prevents moisture from escaping, but allows air and perspiration to pass through.

Other benefits include filling in fine lines, to blur harsher appearances of wrinkles. And it’s often used as a primary ingredient for softening scars!

Another olive oil ingredient, this time sourced from whole, ripe olive fruits! This ingredient is an emollient with antioxidant properties, used to give skin a silky smooth feel. It has a similar structure to what’s found on the surface of the skin, making it biomimetic and skin compatible. Notably, it contains rich amounts of squalene and squalane, which are skin-identical ingredients to replenish to body’s natural supply of lipids. And squalane is the next ingredient on the list!

With skin-identical ingredients, there’s no need to worry about its bio-compatibility! Our skin is able to recognize squalane and know immediately how to incorporate it. Found naturally in our sebum (little packets of oil), our bodies produce squalane to strengthen and desensitize the skin barrier, keep skin hydrated, and prevent water loss.

Although it’s common to have concerns about overproduction of sebum, squalane in skin care is a bit different from sebum. It’s more light-weight and non-greasy. It doesn’t clog pores the same way sebum can, making it an excellent moisturizer for acne-prone skin (even for fungal acne types). Its antioxidant properties also help prevent pore damage, which further supports squalane’s acne benefits.

This ingredient is often synthesized because it’s 1) an antioxidant with soothing properties. And 2) because it boosts preservatives. A preservative booster allows chemists to use a smaller amount of actual preservatives (like phenoxyethanol, further down in the ingredient list) without compromising efficacy.

Watermelon!! Delicious and nutritious, this ingredient is a great way to replenish your body’s supply of vitamins (A, B, C, E), mineral salts (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron), amino acids (citrulline, arginine), AND other antioxidants (carotenoids, phenolics).

Briefly, we can go over what those things do:
vitamin A — maintains healthy tissues
vitamin B — helps process energy
vitamin C — protects cells against damage
vitamin E — protects cells against damage
potassium — enables nerve, muscle, and heart function
magnesium — regulates many bodily processes
calcium — gives structure to bones and teeth, enables movement and cellular messaging
iron — used to carry oxygen in blood, and create some hormones
citrulline — essential to cardiovascular and immune health
arginine — helps body build proteins
… and antioxidants are generally responsible for immune functions.

Watermelon is particularly high in the antioxidant carotenoid lycopene. This molecule gives watermelon its red color, and soothes skin while protecting DNA against UV damage!

Often used in skin care with watermelon and apple extracts, this extract is sourced from lentils! According to the manufacturer, the three ingredients together make up the AcquaCell blend, which offers 24 hour hydration, and reduced fine lines.

Source and manufacturer info [here]

Known better as coconut oil, this highly-saturated fatty substance is a good emollient to keep skin soft and smooth.

Its hydrating properties are great for treating severely dry skin, like in those with xerosis and eczema.

Its primary fatty acid, lauric acid, has some scientific support in dealing with an acne-causing bacteria called P. acnes. However, anecdotal evidence suggests both lauric acid and coconut oil have high comedogenic ratings. This means they might have a tendency to block pores and cause blackheads. So coconut oil may be wonderful for very dry skin, but have some clogging risk for very oily skin. Best to keep an eye on it!

This is a sterol ingredient derived from the soy plant, that functions as an emollient to keep skin soft and smooth. Although sterols are related to alcohol, they are not drying to skin at all. They lubricate instead!

Apple extracts offer multi-functional properties! Packed with proteins, starches/sugars, acids, salts, vitamins/antioxidants, apple extracts are a safe way for the skin to absorb many nutrients.

The sugars contribute to moisturization, while the antibacterial acids (mostly malic and gallic acid) are used to brighten skin and mildy exfoliate! Rich in polyphenolic antioxidants, this ingredient also helps prevent free radical skin damage.

This ingredient is an alternative form of ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C!

Vitamin C is a skin care superstar. Its numerous benefits include 1) boosting collagen production, 2) skin brightening/fading dark spots, 3) greatly improving UV protection when combined with sunscreen, and 4) neutralizing excess free radicals as an antioxidant.

HOWEVER, vitamin C is often highly unstable, oxidizing easily and degrading past the point of effectiveness. Because of this, chemists have sought to create more stable derivatives!

Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is still a relatively new development, but with some promising results. Unlike vitamin C, this ingredient is oil soluble. Since skin has oily layers, some studies suggest it can penetrate deeper layers 3x as much, compared to regular vitamin C. This is particularly relevant for anti-aging. Other studies suggests it retains all the benefits of vitamin C stated above.

It’s worth considering though, that most studies done on this ingredient have so far been in-vitro, meaning outside of the body. We’ll update this page as more research comes out!

Sources:
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, Volume 11 (4) – Dec 1, 2012, Stability, transdermal penetration, and cutaneous effects of ascorbic acid and its derivatives
Dermatologic Surgery, Mar 1, 2002, Double‐Blind, Half‐Face Study Comparing Topical Vitamin C and Vehicle for Rejuvenation of Photodamage

Unfortunately, we haven’t found credible sources of info on this ingredient yet!

This ingredient is the salt form of skin care superstar, hyaluronic acid! In general, these names are used interchangeably. (The salt form is a bit more stable, and cheaper to formulate, so that’s what you’ll likely see listed in the ingredients!)

Hyaluronic acid is famous for being a skin-identical ingredient, found naturally in the body, and capable of holding 1000x its own weight in water. (Or 6 liters of water per 1 gram of HA.) In other words, it’s an unparalleled moisturizer/humectant, that your skin instantly recognizes and knows how to incorporate!

Beyond hydration, it’s known to…
1. regulate inflammation
2. even out fine lines and wrinkles
3. maintain the skin’s proper water balance
4. help retain skin elasticity
5. repair damages to the skin barrier as an antioxidant
6. nourish the skin’s natural microbiome as a postbiotic

Since HA is such as massive molecule, it’s commercially available in higher molecular weights, as well as lower molecular weights. Higher weights form a protective barrier on the skin surface. While lower weights may have more skin penetration ability, to address deeper layers of hydration. It can be worth experimenting with both!

Sources: [1] [2]

A skin care staple, found in many moisturizers! Short for sodium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, this ingredient is skin-indentical. Found in both plant and animal tissues, sodium PCA is a derivative of natural amino acids. As a moisturizer/humectant, this ingredient helps skin cling onto water and retain hydration!

Limited research is available on this ingredient. But so far the preliminary findings are promising.

Alteromonas is a microorganism found near deep sea hydrothermal vents. Living in such extreme environments of high heat and high pressure enables it to secrete unique carbohydrates (polysaccharides). These secretions are then fermented and used in skin care.

Apparent benefits include 1) soothing both chemical and abrasive irritations, and 2) repairing damage on the skin’s surface.

This ingredient is available in many skin care products, but we’ll have to see in the future how well it holds up in testing!

Better known as sea fennel, this plant is accustomed to surviving harsh coastal environments! Having developed unique stem cells in its root tips, sea fennel is able to withstand low water availability, high salinity, constant sea spray, fluctuating temperatures, UV exposure, and abrasive winds. The stem cells are then extracted, to offer similar resistances for skin care benefits!

According to the manufacturer, sea fennel stem cells are capable of signaling the activation of human stem cells found in skin. This promotes cell regeneration, making this ingredient one powered by redox. Besides cell renewal, sea fennel has other anti-aging properties. It’s known to stimulate collagen production, improve skin elasticity, and minimize fine lines. Furthermore, sea fennel increases generation of natural hyaluronic acid, helping skin to retain its moisture, and appear supple and healthy. It’s also supposed to protect against and soothe inflammation!

Sources: [1] [2] [3]

A cell-communicating ingredient! Peptides are molecules consisting of a string of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, that have various uses in the body.

In this case, trifluoroacetyl tripeptide-2 is a peptide of 3 amino acids, responsible for signaling the inhibition of progerin. Progerin is a protein that accelerates the aging of cells. So by inhibiting progerin, this ingredient is able to offer anti-aging benefits.

An in-vivo (real people) study by the manufacturer found that the ingredient lifted jawlines by up to 10% in 56 days, and increased skin elasticity by up to 20% in 28 days.

Sources: [1] [2]

Probably the most popular preservative! Phenoxyethanol is synthesized for skin care but found naturally in green tea. The reason it’s popular is mainly due to its gentleness, and good safety profile. It’s also stable in a range of temperatures and pHs. Most notably, it’s not a paraben type preservative (which some studies worry can cause allergic reactions, and build up in the body over time).

Preservatives aren’t recommended in larger concentrations. But luckily in skin care formulas, phenoxyethanol concentration typically only goes up to 1%. Phenoxyethanol also acts as a perservative booster, to reduce the amount of ethylhexylglycerin necessary!

Butylene glycol is mainly a solvent, so other ingredients dissolve in this colorless, pleasantly textured product.

As a penetration enhancer, it helps your skin absorb the product faster and into deeper layers. It’s also a slip agent, which makes the product spread evenly across your skin. Being a moisturizer/humectant, it binds to water, and enables skin to stay hydrated.

This ingredient is even safe enough to be used as a food additive!

A mix of glycerin and oleic acid (a fatty acid), this ingredient is an emollient used to make your skin soft and smooth. As an emulsifier, it ensures that oil-loving and water-loving ingredients are able to mix together without separation issues. Less commonly, it has perfuming qualities.

Despite its very complicated name, this ingredient has a simple job as a viscosity controlling thickener. It’s a polymer, which mostly just means it’s a large molecule. In this case, it has both water-loving parts, and oil-loving parts. That makes it great at emulsifying, or mixing together ingredients that would otherwise separate.

This ingredient is not only skin-identical, it’s the most abundant fatty acid found in the outer layer of our skin. Although it’s the most abundant fatty acid, our bodies cannot actually synthesize it on our own. Instead, we have to get all our linoleic acid through diet. This makes it one of two essential fatty acids that our bodies must obtain.

In skin care terms, linoleic acid is critical for the health of the skin barrier, ensuring the proper structure, and permeability of our skin. It’s the precursor for an important group of skin lipids you may have heard of, known as ceramides. Ceramides make up 50% of the gloopy fluid between skin cells, known as the extracellular matrix. By forming a waterproof layer, they mitigate water loss through evaporation, and help keep our cells hydrated. Those with dry skin will particularly benefit linoleic acid!

But that’s not to say acne-prone skin wouldn’t benefit either! Linoleic acid has anti-acne properties! Research suggests that those with acne prone skin have decreased levels of linoleic acid compared to normal. Another study found that applying 2.5% linoleic acid for 4 weeks reduced the size of acne-related blocked pores.

Furthermore, the liquidy/oily/hydrating formulations of linoleic acid make it a good emollient to help skin stay smooth and supple. Other benefits include skin repair, soothing irritations, and lightening dark spots or hyperpigmentation!

More info: [1] [2] [3]

Phospholipids are types of lipids (fats) that make up about 75% of all our cell membranes! That makes them a skin-identical ingredient, found naturally in the human body.

For skin care purposes, phospholipids function as an emollient to skin nice and smooth. Because phospholipids are hygroscopic, meaning they pull and retain moisture from the surrounding air, phospholipids also have moisturizing/humectant properties. When we cleanse our faces or just go about our days, we can lose phospholipids from our skin’s surface. Using products with phospholipids can help replenish our skin’s supply.

Further research also suggests it has antioxidant benefits, and can promote the absorption of other active ingredients.

Phospholipids are safe to use in skin care within 50% concentration, and are often included in combination with glycerin, lecithin, and ceramides.

More info: [1]

Common both in skin care and as a food additive, xanthan gum is a viscosity controlling ingredient. When products are a little too runny, xanthan gum is included to thicken up the formula.

It’s a natural carbohydrate, consisting of a chain of sugar molecules (mainly glucose and sucrose) that has undergone fermentation. As a standalone ingredient, it can make products a bit sticky, so it’s often used with other viscosity controllers.

A preservative often spotted with phenoxyethanol, these two ingredients boost the effectiveness of each other! Adverse reactions to this ingredient are pretty rare, and considered low risk. It’s also found in deodorants for inhibiting certain odor-causing bacteria.

Sodium lactate is the salt form of lactic acid, which is found naturally in the body. It functions as a buffering agent, used to adjust the pH of product formulas. Because it’s hygroscopic, it’s capable of pulling and retaining moisture from the air. This makes it a decent moisturizer/humectant as well! It’s also safe enough to be used as a food additive!

This ingredient is included as a chelating agent. Basically, it binds to any metal ions that may otherwise compromise the formula. It helps stabilize the product, and boosts the effectiveness of other preservatives.

A polysaccharide (sugar-based) ingredient, used in both skin care and as a food additive. In this case, it’s added as a viscosity controlling ingredient, to thicken up the product. When combined with peptides, it can offer greater formula stability. Sometimes it’s used to create hydrogel structures in skin care products. Hydrogels are absorbant but don’t dissolve in water, making them useful also in medical scenarios for wound healing!