What Is A Cosmetic Active Ingredient?
                     What Is A Cosmetic Active Ingredient?
Anil Kumar
Works for one of the quality cosmetics active ingredients suppliers. 
Writes on cosmetics active ingredients for personal care, home 
care, hair colour, sun care products, pigmentation dryer and 
dietary supplements including Iscotrizinol, also called as Uvasorb 
Heb / Diethylhexyl butamido triazone.
    Beauty and wellness have always had an all-important place in the lives 
of people. Now it has assumed an even bigger role when there is a rising 
consciousness among people striving to achieve good health and better 
physical appearance. The growing awareness especially about the 
benefits of using various products for skin and overall personal care has 
led to a boom in the beauty and cosmetics industry.
    The cosmetics market is inundated with numerous procedures and 
ingredients. But one of the latest trends that have gathered steam of 
late is the preference for Actives. A recent study highlights that the 
global market for Actives in cosmetics estimated at 3.5 Billion USD in the 
year 2022, is projected to reach a size of 4.3 Billion USD by 2026, 
growing at a CAGR of 5.5% during the period.
    What are cosmetics?
    But before we jump into active ingredients, let us first see what are 
cosmetics. By definition, any personal care product that helps enhance the 
look of the body comes under the broad marketing term of 
cosmeceuticals. It includes all types of beauty preparations, grooming aids, 
etc. Based on the ingredients and their claims, a personal care product can 
be classified either as a cosmetic or a drug. Generally, a beauty product or 
grooming aid is usually cosmetic. Still, it is legally termed a drug if it claims 
to change specific functions in the body or prevent or treat any disease.
   There are a large variety of ingredients commonly found in cosmeceutical 
formulations with known and scientifically-certified personal care benefits. 
Some of the most common include Vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid), Vitamin E, 
Hydroxy acids, Vitamin A (retinoids), Peptides, Hyaluronic acid, etc.
    In terms of availability, these ingredients are available in cosmetics or as 
pharma drugs. Unlike normal cosmetics, pharma drugs have ‘medical’ or 
‘pharmaceutical-grade’ active ingredients. It means the quality of the 
main ingredient and its percentage is good enough to be termed a 
prescription drug.
    What are active ingredients?
    Now let us see what active ingredients are – actives, as often called 
active ingredients are compounds found in beauty products that have 
an intended purpose—to address a specific concern. They typically 
impart a functional benefit to the formulation and make the product 
effective.
    Active ingredients appear in almost skincare products, from cleansers to 
moisturizers, serums to face masks, and let us not forget the sunscreens, 
all in varying dosages and potency.
 
    How does active ingredient help?
    Consumers often struggle to choose a body care regime from hundreds 
of products flooding the stores. Many times, one chooses to go by the 
brands and the claims they make. For instance, some products promise 
to work wonders against anti-aging, some instant whitening or UV 
protection and some say they are top moisturizers.
    A consumer simply looks for a product that he/she thinks can address 
skin concerns. But unfortunately, it is not that simple. Because at times, 
people end up purchasing a product that claims to produce a specific 
result but ends up with a different outcome. So, one way to fight this 
misinformation is by developing a deeper understanding of ingredients 
in skincare.  
   Choosing and using the right active ingredients
   While picking up an active ingredient, one first needs to evaluate the 
reason for its use. It’s always recommended to consult a dermatologist, 
to detect any underlying health issues and accordingly choose the right 
type of product to get the desired results.
    Types of Active ingredients:
    In terms of functionality and usage, cosmetic agents are broadly put 
under these categories:
    Antioxidants: In any product containing oils or other ingredients with 
unsaturated structures susceptible to oxidation, antioxidants help 
actives and preservatives escape adverse effects like deterioration and 
discoloration. Antioxidants fight signs of aging, and acne and also 
prevent sunburn apart from lightening skin tone. Example – L-Ascorbic 
Acid, Curcumin
   Buffers: Cosmetic buffer agents help build and balance the level of pH in 
cosmetics. Some examples of buffers are Potassium Acetate, Glycyl, etc.
   Preservatives: Ingredients that inhibit microbial activity and prevent 
deterioration of personal care products are called preservatives.
   Surfactants: An important part of all cleansing formulations, surfactants 
are used as an emulsifier, dispersants, wetting, or penetrating agent in a 
product. They make a product easier to apply and clean better. Example: 
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate.
    Flavoring Agents: A majority of cosmetic flavorings in the market are 
‘equivalents’ of natural flavors. Natural flavors are edible aromatic 
compounds found in nature but their equivalent flavorings are man-
made compounds but are chemically identical. They are synthetically 
produced due to the high cost or unavailability of natural extracts. 
Example: Adipic Acid.
    Fragrant Agents: Fragrance is an essential ingredient in cosmetics. There 
are different types of fragrances like water-soluble, oil-soluble 
fragrances, and emulsified or powdered flavors. Example: Velencene
    Chelating Agents: These components play a vital role in ensuring the 
stability and efficacy of cosmetics. They have the ability to enhance the 
activity of preservatives and are employed in liquid soaps and body 
washes to prevent fragrance and color degradation as well as to 
enhance lathering and rinseability. Example: Citric Acid
    Abrasives: They are used in cosmetic products such as body and facial 
scrubs, cleansing lotions, soaps, etc. Example: Activated Charcoal, 
Calcium Carbonate.
   Colour Additives: Colourants used in cosmetics are generally inorganic 
pigments. They give characteristics or desired colors to the cosmetic 
product. Colorants are mainly used in beauty cosmetics such as lipstick, 
eyeliners, mascara, nail polish, hair dye products, etc. Example: Beta-
Carotene, Carmine
    Plasticizers: They are chemical additives that give cosmetic products 
desired usage flexibility and longevity. Example: Texanol.
  About Vinner Labs 
    Vinner Labs specialises in the supply of 
functional and active ingredients for 
personal care, home care, hair dye 
intermediates, sun filter ingredients, FD&C 
pigments and dyes․ We have global reach 
and focused approach towards providing 
our customers with best products via our 
networked manufacturing and R&D 
facilities․ Vinner Labs aims to provide a 
wide range of functional active ingredients 
from a variety of technological platforms․ 
We are one of the unique players in this 
niche segment of specialty chemicals from 
India․ We consider ourselves as value-
unlockers in a variety of personal care 
categories including beauty care, skin care, 
and hair care․