We can all agree that skin has no openings based on our own experience on our own skin. We wash our skin with water, we scrub our skin with fluid substances, or perhaps we steam our skin with fluid materials but we haven't experienced the penetration of these fluid materials into our skin. Something strange here is that, cosmetic industry makes products using ingredients such as collagen, vitamins and minerals promising to make their way into the skin for more effective results. So how is that even possible?
The reality is that our skin has a higher absorption rate. It's always looking for the molecules around to eat. For instance, an average human being is likely to be exposed everyday with molecules of water, makeup or a smell of fragrance. As soon as these molecules get in touch with our skin, they will be taken to the cellular or mouth for further processes such as tasting, chewing and ingesting.
As for fluid substances such as air including oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and toxic pollutants penetrate within a skin through three inlets which are noted to be sweat ducts, hair follicles and sebaceous glands or stratum corneum. The absorption strength of skin has been applied in the medicine field for treatment purposes. For instance, transdermal delivery drugs for motion sickness, birth control methods, chronic pain, smoking cessation.
According to new research—our skin has the ability to absorb up to 60 percent of all substances found on its surface. There is a good thing and there is a worse thing for this. The good thing is that skin will absorb healthy materials such as water, vitamins, minerals and oxygen. The worst thing is that skin will also absorb harmful materials that can cause cancer, for instance carcinogenic materials.
Active ingredients found on cosmetic products are pushed beyond the outermost layer of skin known as stratum corneum which contains dead skin cells. To achieve this goal—penetration enhancers or sorption promoters or accelerants are used to decrease skin's barrier and allow the passage of these active ingredients. The commonly used penetration enhancers include liposomes, alcohols or ethanols, glycols or propylene glycol and surfactants.
Penetration enhancers are more effective than nanoparticles. While nanoparticles increase skin's permeability by up to 30 percent, penetration enhancers do up to 100 percent. The case becomes even more amplified when ethanol is high. Essential oils are gentle and effective as penetration enhancers.
Beauty industry insiders reported that about 1 to 10 percent or just a few micrograms of toxic ingredients are added in cosmetic products—so there is high likelihood to face enormous healthy impact using these products for a long period of time.
A lot of skin care products found on the market hold hundreds of synthetic additives whose safety is based in animal, not human studies. Studies usually analyze the impact of separate ingredients applied in an animal's skin in enormous doses for short periods of time. Industry insiders say that a minimal amount of toxic ingredients are applied in cosmetics, which range from 1 to 10 percent or just a few micrograms. So it's likely to have a cumulative impact on our health for a long period of usage.