Need your help!… Favorite or Must Have Top 3 Ingredients

Bella Carro · ‎10-01-2011

I just received my first shipment of supplies to make skincare. Planning on lotions, butters, creams for body, lotions for face, sugar/salt scrubs to start. I am getting so bogged down though on choosing additives. Should I choose green tea extract, CoQ10, ceramides, cranberry seed oil, AHA's, resveratrol, add peptides for facial, silk amino proteins, the list goes on and on. So many!!! I can't buy them all nor do I want an "all but the kitchen sink" product.

So can I ask you beauties to list your top three "must haves" or "really like to haves" for 3 categories: Body lotion/creams, facial moisturizer in lotion form, facial serum. If, you have any for body scrubs throw that in the mix, too.

I am making items for gifts, family, and myself. Not to sell, at least not initially or probably a long time if ever. Trying to keep it as organic as possible but certainly no 'cones, glycols, drying alcohols, etc.

Please, please help! I'll never get anything made if I keep second guessing myself. TIA!

Bella Carro · ‎10-01-2011

Nobody?

Jpn10037 · ‎01-18-2014

I'll bite! ;-) For face: I like to have salicylic acid, as I am prone to breakouts. I prefer SA in a treatment not necessary to have in a moisturizer. I look for hyaluronic acid in a facial moisturizer. There's nothing better for me in keeping the dry, flaky skin away. I also like niacinamide and ceramides. Both do wonders for my skin. I like hyaluronic in the moisturizer. Niacinamide and ceramides can be in the serum. For body lotion, I am not too picky. But in the winter, nothing beats shea butter for moisturization. I think l'Occitane has'em all beat in this department with its body lotion. Just as important to me is what is not in the product: for anything face, I hate fragrance. I prefer paraben-free products, too.

MarenSeattle · ‎10-19-2013

Are you crazy?

I wouldn't know where to start, either. I'm thinking, though, that HA is a def for facial serum or lotion. Oh -- did you mention that?

For a body product, everybody seems to be loving cranberry oil these days. It might be too much for a facial prep (for giving to others).

How many additives do you want? Green tea is always nice. Or, you can do what Dimitri seems to and throw every last thing you have into the mix.

Why not go to Nanci's site and check out her ingredients and use as a guideline? ASDM has very few ingredients, too.

Good luck -- let us know! And I still think you're nuts!

Bella Carro · ‎10-01-2011

On 11/24/2014 Jpn10037 said: I'll bite! ;-) For face: I like to have salicylic acid, as I am prone to breakouts. I prefer SA in a treatment not necessary to have in a moisturizer. I look for hyaluronic acid in a facial moisturizer. There's nothing better for me in keeping the dry, flaky skin away. I also like niacinamide and ceramides. Both do wonders for my skin. I like hyaluronic in the moisturizer. Niacinamide and ceramides can be in the serum. For body lotion, I am not too picky. But in the winter, nothing beats shea butter for moisturization. I think l'Occitane has'em all beat in this department with its body lotion. Just as important to me is what is not in the product: for anything face, I hate fragrance. I prefer paraben-free products, too.

Thank you! ITA on niaminicide and ceramides. I'm having a tough time finding affordable ceramides. That was actually my number one ingredient in mind when I first began looking. HA can be pretty pricey. Frankly, after using products with HA or ceramides I found, for me, that ceramides provide significantly better moisturization. Thanks, too, for the opinion on shea butter. That is in my shipment and I'm so looking forward to mixing up a batch of body butter with it.
Yes, MS, probably a little nuts but I have been interested in it for quite some time and really enjoyed the class I took. I don't want to get into additive overload. That is why I wanted some opinions. Honestly, I think I've lost some of my original perspective. I tend to overthink and analyze pros and cons to death.

Jpn10037 · ‎01-18-2014

We are all a little cray-cray! Product of a crazy world. It was 70 today in NYC. Now that's nuts. :-) On a different note, I think Dr Jart has excellent ceramide products. His ceramide serum is a must-have. And his nighttime mask (it has some terrible, long name that is something like max water moisture mask) is wonderful and packed full of hyaluronic acid. CeraVe also has excellent and affordable options. I probably would put retinol on my list if I I didn't already have an Rx for tretinoin. It is second to none for anti-aging or, in my case, for fighting acne. I love lactic acid for the way it evens out my texture, but it couldn't use it daily with my Rx tretinoin and lactic acid, like most (all?) AHAs don't penetrate a clogged pore, so I stick with my salicylic acid as a workhorse, saving lactic acid for the occasional peel.

MarenSeattle · ‎10-19-2013

On 11/24/2014 BellaCarro said:
On 11/24/2014 Jpn10037 said: I'll bite! ;-) For face: I like to have salicylic acid, as I am prone to breakouts. I prefer SA in a treatment not necessary to have in a moisturizer. I look for hyaluronic acid in a facial moisturizer. There's nothing better for me in keeping the dry, flaky skin away. I also like niacinamide and ceramides. Both do wonders for my skin. I like hyaluronic in the moisturizer. Niacinamide and ceramides can be in the serum. For body lotion, I am not too picky. But in the winter, nothing beats shea butter for moisturization. I think l'Occitane has'em all beat in this department with its body lotion. Just as important to me is what is not in the product: for anything face, I hate fragrance. I prefer paraben-free products, too.
Thank you! ITA on niaminicide and ceramides. I'm having a tough time finding affordable ceramides. That was actually my number one ingredient in mind when I first began looking. HA can be pretty pricey. Frankly, after using products with HA or ceramides I found, for me, that ceramides provide significantly better moisturization. Thanks, too, for the opinion on shea butter. That is in my shipment and I'm so looking forward to mixing up a batch of body butter with it.
Yes, MS, probably a little nuts but I have been interested in it for quite some time and really enjoyed the class I took. I don't want to get into additive overload. That is why I wanted some opinions. Honestly, I think I've lost some of my original perspective. I tend to overthink and analyze pros and cons to death.

Well I think people who actually cook are nuts, too, so consider the source. :-)

Some great suggestions about the shea butter, ceramides and niacinamide. I was thinking that my now go-to for a lighter moisturizer is CeraVe night time lotion. I LOVE it mixed with a Lipid oil from Skinn. And now that you mention it, I seem to respond way better to that than to HA products.

I'd forgotten you'd take a class. That will come in helpful! Again, good luck!

Bella Carro · ‎10-01-2011

On 11/25/2014 Jpn10037 said: We are all a little cray-cray! Product of a crazy world. It was 70 today in NYC. Now that's nuts. :-) On a different note, I think Dr Jart has excellent ceramide products. His ceramide serum is a must-have. And his nighttime mask (it has some terrible, long name that is something like max water moisture mask) is wonderful and packed full of hyaluronic acid. CeraVe also has excellent and affordable options. I probably would put retinol on my list if I I didn't already have an Rx for tretinoin. It is second to none for anti-aging or, in my case, for fighting acne. I love lactic acid for the way it evens out my texture, but it couldn't use it daily with my Rx tretinoin and lactic acid, like most (all?) AHAs don't penetrate a clogged pore, so I stick with my salicylic acid as a workhorse, saving lactic acid for the occasional peel.

Lactic is actually considered moisturizing. It is the largest molecule of the common skincare acids so does not penetrate as deeply as the others as far as exfoliation. I'm a nightly or every other night user of PC's BHA and I know it helps to keep my pores clean. Idk about the retinol. Adding it makes me a little nervous but I agree with you regarding it's relevance in skincare. But, you are making me think a little more about the HA.

Bella Carro · ‎10-01-2011

MS, I cook, too. Food that is and really enjoy it, too. Well, used to. A seriously picky eater has cooled that flame over the years.

Jpn10037 · ‎01-18-2014

I am using a 20% vitamin c serum now that contains HA as well. It is a lovely formulation and absorbs beautifully into my skin. I got it from a m a z o n and for less than $20. I love a 2-in-1. As for cooking, I love cooking but hate the prep and the clean-up. I just need a sous chef and cleaning staff. To be fair, my dogs do a pretty good job with the clean-up but their knife skills are mediocre. :-) I haven't tried Skinn but my SIL and these boards rave about it, so i will have to try something of his. I find him very enjoyable.