Emulsifiers and why we should be avoiding them in our Skin Care

So, what are emulsifiers? This is a question that as Corneotherapists, we get asked a lot (especially when we explain that Prologic products do not have any emulsifiers!)  So, lets tell you what they are, or more to the point, what they can do.

Their main function is to bind water-based ingredients to oil-based ingredients, forming a creamy suspension in a product.  Doesn’t sound too bad right?  Wrong – the problem is that when we cleanse our skin with products that contain emulsifiers, they reactivate the emulsifying agent, causing them to bind to and dissolve our own natural barrier lipids, which over time can lead to an impaired barrier. In the industry, this has been termed as ‘the washout effect’ – essentially, by ‘washing out’ our own natural lipids, the skin can become leaky (think gaps in roof tiles on a house), which in turn can lead to trans-epidermal water loss (natural hydration escaping) and increased bacterial pathogens getting in…yikes! The result can be a tight, dry, itchy, reddened, compromised, dehydrated and sensitive skin.  

Unfortunately, most conventional cosmetic products include emulsifying formulations, and some can be incredibly harmful to the health and function of the skin! 

Prologic skincare products are formulated without emulsifiers, instead opting to combine products topically - applying the Pre Cleanse Oil on to dry skin, then the Cream Cleanser overtop for example, provides a biomimetic approach to cleansing, without stripping natural lipids and hydration; Prologic Moisturisers are followed by a topical facial oil, both working in synergy to provide the all-important moisture lock that our skin requires.  This Corneotherapeutic approach, using physiological skin loving ingredients ensures that the skin barrier is always supported, resulting in happy healthy skin cells. 

Kate Hudson ~ Studio Eleven