Skincare is the collection of practices which support healthy skin, improve its appearance and alleviate skin disorders. Skincare encompasses a complete range of cosmetic practices which aim at achieving and maintaining health-related goals. They include proper usage of emollient, avoidance of too much sun exposure, intake of nutritional supplements and protection against the UV-radiation. Skin care includes various aspects such as exfoliation, maintenance of facial integrity and reduction of acne, wrinkles and fine lines, enhancement of blood circulation, moisturizing the skin to retain hydration, maintaining the structural integrity of the skin, etc.
Among all the categories of skincare, the most common and popular is that of non-surgical skincare which comprises of lotions, creams and facial masks which contain various active ingredients. These active ingredients are usually extracts of natural plants and animal proteins and derivatives of these ingredients which have been found to possess several health-care activities. Some of the most popular natural active ingredients include Cynergy TK, Phytessence Wakame and Coenzyme Q10. All these active ingredients are known to possess antioxidant, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-cancer activity.
On the other hand, the most important component in most skincare products is the preservative (a chemical substance which restores the original appearance of the ingredient by replacing the missing water, oxygen or other molecules). The most commonly used chemical substances are parabens, phthalates, triclosan and sodium methyl-paraben. Most skincare products are therefore manufactured with the help of synthetic preservatives. However, most of them are not considered safe enough because studies show that many of these chemicals can cause hormonal changes, cancer, organ toxicity, respiratory problems and neurological disorders.