Yin asks a three part question…I’m an avid DIY-skincare person and have started to look for more high-end ingredients to put into my products. Amanduline (hydrolyzed almond protein)s supposed to have great calming effects for the skin. Used in Gatineau’s Serenite Calming mask, and is manufactured by Silab. Hydrolyzed Fibronectin used in Cellcosmet, a Swiss skincare line. And vegetal placenta which is replacing the porcine placenta that was commonly used in DHC’s various products.Can you offer any advice as to the true effectiveness of these products?
The Right Brain’s Reply:
Ok, Yin, first of all, we doubt you’ll be able to buy most of these ingredients because they’re typically only sold to cosmetic manufacturers. We’ve never seen these ingredients sold directly to consumers. But the bigger question is about their true effectiveness, so let’s deal with that.
As we’ve said before we believe you should buy whatever cosmetics you LIKE and can AFFORD. We also believe that you can create Do It Yourself cosmetics as long as you understand that you may be making some compromises in performance.
When it comes to specific ingredients, we’re a bit more particular. While we’re not saying that the ingredients you asked about don’t do ANYTHING, we’re also skeptical that you’ll notice a difference by adding them to your DIY cosmetics, even if you could buy them. Here are our quick comments on each one:
DIY Ingredients
1) Almond Protein
Proteins are good film formers which mean they can help moisturize and tighten skin. There’s no data that we’re aware of that shows almond protein is better in this regard than other vegetable or grain proteins.
2) Hydrolized Fibronectin
Fibronectin can be a powerful film former but it’s too big of a molecule to penetrate the skin. Hydrolyzing it breaks it into smaller pieces but severely reduces it’s ability to form films on the surface.
3) Vegetal Placenta
Vegetal placenta is a relatively new ingredient and we haven’t seen any data yet to indicate that it’s actually functional at any concentration. Remember, just because something is a nutrient for a plant, or another part of the human body, doesn’t mean it will have any benefit when applied to the surface of the skin.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
I hope we haven’t totally burst your bubble on these ingredients, but we’d rather tell the truth now before you spend a lot of time or money trying to find them. We wish you luck with your DIY cosmetics – let us know how this turns out for you!
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Replacing any sort of animal placenta with “vegetal placenta” reminds me of the old Doctrine of Signatures. Just because it has the same word in the name doesn’t mean it resembles an actual placenta in any way! I believe the vegetal version is a seed coat or something, but even if I’m wrong, have you ever seen a plant with a uterus? If you did, would you want to smear it all over your face?
I’m an avid DIYer and artist but some things I just think are better left to the professionals. I take medication daily and wouldn’t think of trying to make that at home. Cosmetics may not be medication but they’re something you may be putting on every day. I worry about cross-contamination. Plus, many of the DIY cosmetic people I’ve encountered seem into using herbs in their products but herbs can have many opportunities for contamination. They can have bacterial and fungal hitchhikers in them and it’s hard to standardize the dosage.
“Vegetal placenta”
sounds like a fancy word for “stem.”
and herbs can be toxic, as well (comfrey, for example), or cause allergic reactions…
I have to say DYI makeup doesn’t sound safe. And not everything natural is safe. Tobacco, arsenic, and nightshade are all natural and all kill people.
I found DIY’s website absolutely fascinating! And I’m ordering some stuff from it. It’s not really a competitor for me -my clients go for the plug-n-play. But it would be great for young adults to find out how this stuff goes together and I’m interested to see what the quality ends up like. -Tony
I love DIY cosmetics. I have also heard that hydrolyzed almond protein is really calming too! So funny you mentioned that here. I like to keep my makeup as “natural” and close to nature as possible too, so its easy to DIY that way. Natural oils are great for your hair and skin and Aloe vera too!
DIY can be very safe if you;
-keep everything you use sanitized/keep ingredients germ free
-use the appropriate preservatives, in the right amounts
-use common sense!!!
Lotioncrafter sells a type of apple stem cell extract for about $50.00 an ounce, if memory serves.
I really like making stuff myself, too (all in all, it ends up being cheaper and more effective) but you really have to do your research and truly make products that you and your family will USE regularly.
I wouldn’t ever bother with any of the above ingredients because they are too expensive, and probably too hard to formulate with. I’d use colloidal oatmeal or soy flour in a cream before I’d shell out the dough for almond protein!
Making your own cosmetics can be done safely and can be very gratifying. The best part of it is that you can leave out what you don’t want (parbens, synthetics etc.) Personally I think keeping it simple is best. Many specialty ingredients can be deactivated by heat, pH, interact with other chemicals and so on. If you’re not a chemist or have a real understanding of the ingredient and how it works you may just be wasting your money. Quality should not cost a fortune and you only need a few high quality ingredients to make a full range of products.
If you want beautiful skin stay out of the sun and/or wear a good sunscreen.
Rebecca
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