Cosmeceuticals

‘Cosmeceuticals’ ? A subset of skin care products wtih better benefits ?

This term ‘cosmeceuticals’  appear to be a favourite word among some personal care companies. While it is generally agreed that the term hints at better performance, there are no harmonised standards as to how these products qualify to be called ‘cosmeceuticals’.

Manufacturer

Good manufacturing practices is mindset

Chaks has been a pioneer not only as a qualified CMO and OEM but also the first local manufacturer to have obtained a MOH Licence to manufacture Class 2 Eye and Lip Products in Singapore way back in 1997.  Since then, the dedicated teams in Chaks have made continuous improvements in all departments starting with formula design and development all the way through processing methods, packaging and testing. The hygiene standards of our work environment are kept clean through HEPA filtration and periodic validation in our Clean Rooms.  As the foremost CMO and OEM for personal care, we aim to maintain high quality assurance for product safety and integrity.

Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs)

Will AHAs go out of date ?

Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) are a family of natural compounds whose therapeutic value were known for decades. In folklore, the legendary beauty Cleopatra used aged wine (tartaric acid) as part of her skincare regime. Some of these AHAs are derived from sugar cane, milk, apples and citrus fruits just to give a few examples. AHAs are so-called because they generally comprise an organic acid with a hydroxyl group attached to the alpha (first) carbon.  They appear to directly impact the bonds which hold the cells together thus causing shedding of the outermost layer of skin or stratum corneum either cumulatively or in a matter of seconds depending on their concentrations and contact time.

When formulated properly, AHAs play useful roles in various skin preparations intended for anti acne, aging and whitening.  They do not appear to cause any problems at low concentrations in daily use preparations, although mild irritation sometimes occur but are generally are not prolonged.

Retinol

Vitamin A in skin formulations

Vitamin A also called retinol is a fat-soluble compound derived from animal and fish sources but not in plants. However many fruits and vegetables contain pigments which can be converted into vitamin A in the body. Of these, beta-carotene a provitamin A is a good source of vitamin A.

Topical vitamin A have a well studied effects on skin health with abundant evidence relating to their effects on signs of aging and common acne. Topical vitamin A is also useful in the mitigation of UVR induced damage especially when used together with Vitamin B derivatives.

Enzymes in skincare

Enzymes for the skin

There has been increasing demand for skin care enzymes. One of the early groups of enzymes deployed are proteases which are hydrolytic enzymes. But due to their instability in the presence of water which results in their inactivation, enzymes in topical formulations have to be stabilized to be efficacious. When formulated properly, benefits such as smoothness and brightness may be achieved by the use of skin care enzymes.