All of the factors above, antioxidants, skin-identical ingredients, and cell-communicating ingredients, are leading elements that contribute to making a state-of-the-art moisturizer. And there are many brilliant formulations in stable packaging that include these substances. It is now far easier than before for a consumer to purchase a truly exceptional product for their skin type, regardless of the name on the label.
Contrary to what the cosmetics industry at large would like you to believe, a state-of- the-art moisturizer does not rely on a single star ingredient to enhance skin’s appearance or function, or to improve the appearance of wrinkles. Month after month, consumers are faced with new ingredients, each claiming superiority over any number of predecessors. Everything from vitamin C and collagen to some exotic plant from a distant forest or exotic location, or perhaps a newly derived molecule, is advertised as being the answer for your skin. Yet the majority of these have no substantiated, non-company-funded research to prove these assertions. And even when there is research showing the ingredient can be effective for skin, that doesn’t make it better or more essential than other ingredients. This constant yet ever-changing list of “best” ingredients may keep things interesting for cosmetics marketing departments and the media, but it rarely helps the consumer determine what is needed to maintain healthy, radiant skin.
Think about it like your diet. While broccoli or grapes may be incredibly healthy to eat, if you only ate grapes you would soon become malnourished and your body would suffer. Skin lives in the same way. Skin is a complex structural organ requiring many substances to function in a younger and healthier manner. And by that I mean in the way it did before it became damaged by the sun—remember the backside test of aging.