Trends in over-the-counter face care
In an era when a purportedly new-best-face-cream-since-the-dawn-of-time seems to be advertised weekly — and snail-slime serums, nightingale-dropping facials and bee-venom products can be bought with the tap of a keyboard — it can be difficult to know which over-the-counter skin-care products are overhyped and which work best.
But don’t be fooled by all the claims of “newness.”
Cosmetic chemist Kevin Ewell says really new ingredients are slow to come to the market due to oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“The heavily regulated world of OTC is one where the FDA has control over its ingredients and claims,” he says. “There are very few times when new ingredients come up in these products because they have to go through a formal new drug assessment process where it can be a 10-, 15-year wait-period to go from clinical trials to being a new drug on the market. Where we see a lot of innovation is using existing OTC drug monographs and bolstering them with other ingredients that are less regulated but on the market.”
Here’s his take on ingredients and products that contain effective ones.
Problem: dull, uneven skin
The standard stuff: vitamin C, hydroquinone, kojic acid, azelaic acid, licorice extract are often used for brightening
Other ingredients to look for: niacinamide, tranexamic acid
Ewell says hydroquinone is on the way out, with some states banning its use because of some negative potential health effects, including allergy, irritation and possible organ toxicity.
“If you scare enough people away and enough governing bodies want to get rid of it, it’s going to go,” he says. “You can’t really use it in Europe, and the FDA has it under a microscope.”
And just because a product includes vitamin C doesn’t mean it will be effective. “Not all vitamin Cs are created equal,” Ewell says. L-ascorbic acid, for instance, is a generic vitamin C that does not work well on the skin. Better options include high-purity, biologically active vitamin Cs, such as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and ethyl ascorbic acid.
Products to try: SkinMedica Lytera Skin Brightening Complex ($125, skinmedica.com); Olay Pro-X Even Skin Tone Spot Fading Treatment ($29.99, drugstore.com); Su-Man Skincare Velvet Skin Brightening Serum ($137.42, net-a-porter.com); Paula’s Choice Skincare Resist Pure Radiance Skin Brightening ($32, paulaschoice.com); Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Vitamin C+ ($110, sephora.com)
Problem: acne
The standard stuff: benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur
Another ingredient to look for: micronized benzoyl peroxide
Ewell’s take: “Scientists have noticed if you micronize benzoyl peroxide, it gets into your pores better and treats acne better, so you need less of it and it’s less irritating [than regular benzoyl peroxide]. It’s been gradually getting into products, but we’ll see it more.”
Products to try: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment ($36.95, laroche-posay.us); Jan Marini Benzoyl Peroxide Lotion 5% and 10% ($33, janmarini.com)
Problem: premature wrinkles
Tried and true: retinoids
Another ingredient to look for: salicylic acid, which may be delivered in an unexpected way, such as in willow bark
Ewell says, “Beta hydroxy acids such as salicylic acid get pulled deeper into the pores than alpha hydroxy acids and help exfoliation and to smooth out wrinkles. It’s monographed for acne by the FDA, but some companies choose to use them for [other] purposes,” such as wrinkle prevention.
Products to try: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum ($68, shop.nordstrom.com); DermaDoctor Picture Porefect Pore Minimizing Solution ($42, shop.nordstrom.com)
Problem: saggy skin
The standard remedy: surgery
A newer option: peptides, such as palmitoyl oligopeptide and acetyl dipeptide
“Peptides are huge in the industry and you’re seeing more and more of them. Usually companies that sell their own peptides have them patented, but they basically work the same to regulate your cell activity and boost collagen,” says Ewell. “Peptides are like a Miracle-Gro that triggers cells to say ‘Hey, wake up! We’re not dead yet!’”
Products to try: Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair Cream with Peptide K8 ($150, katesomerville.com); Algenist Firming & Lifting Neck Cream ($94, sephora.com)
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