MANMADE OR NATURAL, THEY’RE ALL CHEMICALS

Many chemicals are very

good for healthy skin. Dermatologist and an aesthetic physician, Dr Ajay Rana, who’s also founder and director at the Institute of Laser

and Aesthetic Medicine (ILAMED), lists the sources of many of these naturally

extracted chemicals:

Glycolic acid’s origin is sugarcane, while lactic acid is extracted from fermented milk

products.

Salicylic acid is usually extracted from wintergreen

leaves, and it can remove dead skin while improving the texture and colour of damaged skin due to harmful UV rays of the sun. It also penetrates oilladen hair follicle openings

and thus helps with acne.

Retinol, derived from Vitamin A such as animal liver, whole

milk, shrimp, fish, fortified milk, butter, cheddar cheese

and Swiss cheese, improves acne and acne-scarring, mottled pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, skin texture, skin tone and colour, and the skin’s

hydration levels.

Hyaluronic acid’s origin is potatoes, sweet potatoes, jicama and lotus roots and skincare products containing hyaluronic acid, also known as

glycosaminoglycan, are often used with Vitamin C products

to assist in effective penetration. It is also often touted for

its anti-ageing abilities.

DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) is naturally produced in the brain, but

DMAE is also present in anchovies, salmon, and sardines. DMAE in skincare products shows remarkable effects when applied topically to skin, resulting in the reduction of

fine lines and wrinkles.

Hydroquinone is extracted

from plant-driven food products such as wheat

germ and brewed coffee. Skincare products containing hydroquinone are often

called bleaching creams or lightening agents, used to lighten hyperpigmentation, such as age spots

and dark spots.