Why higher percentages of key ingredients isn’t always a good idea

Within the skin care industry, there seems to be a marketing push to force feed us that more is better. Especially when it comes to “key ingredients” in today’s skin care. If it’s 10% or 20% or 40% percent of “x” then it must be better right? The typical answer is no, not really. More is not always better, it’s just more.

Hyaluronic Acid is all the rage currently. And while we’ve been big proponents of this ingredient for decades we’re perplexed by the trend of shoving more and more hyaluronic acid into formulas. And, from a chemistry standpoint, we’re dubious about some of the marketing claims and hype.

Our Hyaluronic Acid Serum contains 1% sodium hyaluronate. But you can find modern-day hucksters promoting 2% or even 10% hyaluronic acid serums. But it becomes silly – since as you move beyond 2% hyaluronic acid you start to transition from a serum to a gel. And by the time you reach 10% you’ve got a goopy mess unless you transform the hyaluronic acid. Reviva has serums, gels, and creams loaded with various percentages of hyaluronic acid. So, when we see serums promoting 10% hyaluronic acid, we’re fairly certain it’s simply marketing run amok.

Hyaluronic Acid and other ingredients are also much more nuanced. You’ve likely seen new brands and products promoting high or low – or a mix of -hyaluronic acid molecules. Or some sell serums with three sizes (weights) of hyaluronic acid molecules – low, medium, high. We plan to write a much more detailed blog regarding hyaluronic acid molecular sizes in the future. But for now, suffice it to say, high weight (or large) molecules sit on top of the skin and draw moisture to the surface, holding it there, which is good. Medium and low sizes are essentially “chopped up’ molecules that can penetrate deeper into the skin because of their size. However, the overall benefits are debatable, and there’s research that indicates low (or small) molecular weight hyaluronic acid may also trigger inflammation.

Higher percentages doesn’t necessarily mean more effective

In most scenarios, skin care ingredients have very specific ranges of percentages where they’re most effective. The ingredient manufacturers will often call out their optimum percentages based on the research they performed during development. Some ingredients require 2% or 5% for optimal results. While others can work fine at 1% or under. And even if an ingredient is optimal at 2% that doesn’t mean using less of it is bad; you’ll still see some benefits. But the converse isn’t necessarily true. Sometimes using more of an ingredient can have the opposite effect overall. You can’t simply ignore the maximum recommended percentage of 5% and naturally assume that doubling or tripling that amount will be better. Perhaps higher concentrations will be irritating or damaging. Regardless, we’re constantly astounded by the perpetual march towards higher and higher percentages.

The percentage isn’t the only factor

Higher percentages aren’t the only consideration regarding an ingredient’s effectiveness. Often, how an ingredient is handled in a formula or what it’s paired with is also important. For example, there’s a very popular 30% AHA/BHA serum on the market. What pH this formula maintains and how much free acid is in the formula are all also very important. Create a formula at 30% Glycolic Acid with a pH of 2.5 and you’ll have people’s faces literally peeling away. But adjust (i.e., buffer) the pH to 3.6 and most will likely be fine. Just make sure the free acid is self neutralizing or that you follow up with a neutralizing solution to stop the acid reaction.

Now, the formula we allude to is supposedly very good, so they’ve undoubtedly done their homework. What we often worry about is the new kids on the block that simply try to one-up the competition by adding more and more of a key ingredient – so they can market the higher percentage. Because, unless the universe has morphed somehow, you can’t add more than 100% to a formula. So, for every ingredient you add or when you increase a percentage of something it means you’re reducing or eliminating other ingredients. And this can be problematic as well.

One of Reviva’s tenets is that if we’re utilizing an ingredient that might be irritating or reactive we counter balance this with calming and soothing ingredients. For example, our 10% Glycolic Acid Cream also includes nourishing oils and calming emollients that helps protect the freshly revealed skin after its exfoliating effect. You’ll find this balanced approach in most of our products. We like to treat, calm & nourish, and then protect.

Penetration and absorption also has a limit.

If you apply a product that has 10% of ingredient “X” it doesn’t directly translate into 10% penetrating or being absorbed. Obviously, your skin is primarily a barrier, so its job is to keep things out. And it’s very good at this. So, slathering on too much of something is just a waste in the end.

But first, a quick explanation between absorption and penetration. Penetration indicates that an ingredient has made it past the toughest outer layer and made it into the lower levels of the epidermis or at best the top of the dermis. It’s rare you achieve 100% penetration of any single ingredient in one topical application, which is why we promote layering. The corollary is absorption which means an ingredient has penetrated the epidermis and reached the full dermis layer where it’s absorbed into the bloodstream and even deeper tissues.

While absorption may be the goal of many formulators it does enter the murky area. Often, solvents are used to enhance penetration and to lead to absorption. Reviva tends to shy away from these aggressive methods since these penetration enhancers are usually disruptive to the skin’s barrier as it helps to thwart it. And there’s the obvious question; what is being absorbed? Is it only the beneficial ingredient? Or is it also the penetration boosters. And do we really desire our topical skin care to be so extreme that it’s entering our bloodstream? Wouldn’t that make it a drug?

So you can see the conundrum when formulating products and hopefully recognize why it should never only be about “higher percentages of ingredient “x” is better.” Consumers should look for balanced formulas that help the skin rather than using tricks to force more product to penetrate.

Layer it instead of seeking a super high single application

It’s O.K. that your skin has a limited capability to absorb ingredients in a single application. Think of it this way; apply water to a paper towel and it’ll absorb it. But drown the towel in water and it’ll reach its limit and the excess water will be too much. Your skin is similar, and its ability to accept ingredients is finite with each application.

This limited ability to penetrate (and absorb) is why we’re ardent supporters of layering. By applying multiple layers of products, starting with thinner serums, and progressing to creams and gels, you give the skin time to take in and adjust to the various applications. Moreover, each product can utilize different methods for “penetrating” the skin. Or a product might include an occlusive ingredient intended to lock in the other ingredients to allow for longer contact and increased potential for penetration and absorption.

So, how much is too much? And how much is the perfect amount?

Unfortunately, there’s no hard and fast rule. Moreover, everyone’s skin is different so what works for someone might be too much or too little for someone else. It’s why it’s beneficial to try various product lines and products to see which works best for you. And to then examine and take note of the ingredient lists for each product. This can provide you some insight into your skin’s tolerances and affinity for various ingredients.

Learning to read an ingredient list will help you. Here’s a few rules of thumb for “reading” an ingredient panel. Generally the first 5-6 ingredients are the highest percentages. In most skin care, water is the first ingredient (or it’s Aloe or an Oil). Followed by other key ingredients such as glycerin or “actives”. But the first ingredient is typically 75% to 90% of the product’s formula. The next ingredients will range from 1% to 10% give or take. The percentage used will be influenced by how much is effective, cost, and also the overall formula and desired efficacy.

And then you can find the “preservative line” to know what’s under 1% in a formula. Phenoxyethanol is popular in skin care today, but its use is restricted to a maximum of 1% concentration (similarly other preservatives such as benzyl alcohol, etc. are generally 1% or under too). So, if a formula includes phenoxyethanol (or similar preservative), you’ll know anything that appears after it is generally under 1%. Of course, sometimes phenoxyethanol is less than 1% and anything less than 1% can appear in any sequence in the ingredient list. But it’s a quick trick – think of this a guide; not a hard and fast rule. So, if the featured ingredient appears after the main preservative, you can be fairly sure it’s under 1% and the marketing guys are hyping it for effect.

Most of our products have between 1% to 10% of their key ingredients

Take for instance our Antioxidant Day Creme – it contains six potent antioxidants. Its current ingredients are:

Purified Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Safflower Oil, Octyl Palmitate, Stearic Acid, Emulsifying Wax, Glycerine (Veg.), Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Olive Squalene, Dimethicone, Rosehip Seed Oil, Borage Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Coenzyme Q10, Panthenol, Allantoin, Sweet Almond Oil, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, d-Alpha Tocopherol, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Resveratrol, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Lavender Essential Oil, Hydroxyethlycellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

The six antioxidants are above the 1% line but appear further down the list of ingredients. They fall around 1% for each after the other emollients and humectants in the product. But with six antioxidants, at 1% or above, you’re getting a healthy “dosage”. Combined with the other ingredients, you’ve got a nice, balanced and complete formula too.

This product previously had only four antioxidants. So, when we decided to reevaluate it, we knew we could improve its effectiveness with a few new ingredients – but that required balancing the overall formula as well. Overall, without giving away trade secrets, it’s likely the water was reduced a bit to make “room” for the new additions. And other ingredients were also shuffled around. It’s a process; a trade-off to achieve balance without sacrificing effectiveness.

We scrutinize every ingredient

Reviva has a few core philosophies laid down by our founders. One, keep things simple and clean. Two, make sure the addition of an ingredient improves the product’s efficacy or don’t add it. Three, layering is better than shoving tons of ingredients (e.g., high percentages) into a product. These basic tenets help guide us when creating our formulas.

If you’re familiar with Reviva you already know we’re big proponents of layering. With each layered application you move from the least dense to the next densest. Serums come first, then creams, and so on. And you need to allow for “absorption” between layer application. This is when layering helps to compound the key ingredients.

The first serum might include 2% of a key ingredient and the followup product might include and additional 2%. So, the cumulative effect approaches 4% of this key ingredient. And the two items you layered probably delivered a bounty of other great ingredients. Which, had the 4% been shoved into a single product, (so the marketing department could promote 4% of “x”), you’d absorb less of the key ingredient and sacrifice all the ancillary good ingredients form two formulas. Of course, opinions vary among formulators on what’s the best technique.

Caveat Emptor

It’d be nice if we could simply declare “x” percentage is good and “y” percentage is bad – sadly it isn’t so. But, we do caution consumers to examine a product’s ingredient panel with a bit of skepticism. If a brand is heavily marketing it’s super duper high percentage of this or that and you review the ingredient panel and that hyped ingredient is below the preservative…. Well their marketing department is probably hyping “x” percentage to sway you. Or, if the hyped ingredient is higher up it’s OK to wonder – is that the best percentage? What did they sacrifice to get that percentage? And will this much “x” truly be beneficial? And in the end, you’ll likely have to try a product to see if it works well for you long-term.

Yes, it can be tough. We’ve all been indoctrinated that more is better. But that’s not always so. Keep in mind your skin has evolved to be very good at its primary task. And even though damaged or inflamed skin might be more susceptible to “absorbing” skin care products – will the super high percentages really be beneficial or make a difference?