Thermal or floral: Does it matter what water is used to make cosmetics?
Text: Alina Smirnova
Water is not just one of the first positions in the composition of almost all cosmetics - it depends on it, whether the product is liquid or not, it will be saturated or light, what its smell and shelf life will be. Therefore, what kind of water is used in a cream, serum or lotion is important. We understand how its different types work.
Glacial water
Glacial water is considered one of the cleanest in the world. Unlike rain, which passes through the atmosphere filled with impurities on the way to the ground, or water from sources, which the soil passes, glacial water can not get under way tens of thousands of years. The content of mineral salts in glacier water is about 0.4 mg per liter (that is, quite a bit). There are no magical properties attributed to it by marketers - it’s just very, very clean water. So, the probability that the hypersensitive skin will react to it with dryness, irritation or redness, remains minimal. What manufacturers use - Skyn Iceland, Skinfood and others.
Flower water
Hydrolat, or floral water, is a by-product of the production of essential oils. When the water vapor that has passed through the distiller is cooled, the resulting liquid naturally divides into two layers: light oil and heavy water. After all that has happened to her, the latter is saturated with aromatic substances contained in plants. Flower water can be pink, lavender, chamomile and so on.
Different properties are attributed to different waters: antiseptic, antioxidant, moisturizing, refreshing and soothing. The properties of a particular hydrolat will depend on the plant from which it is made: in theory, rose water relieves inflammation and moisturizes, lavender soothes and disinfects. The same is remarkable and chamomile - it is recommended to owners of dry and sensitive skin. Flower waters are used independently as a tonic, a refreshing spray and for moisturizing clay and fabric masks or as an ingredient in cosmetics instead of ordinary water. This allows you to increase the effectiveness of the tool, without changing its composition dramatically.
Thermal water
This is bottled water from warm springs with particles of various useful minerals. Thermal water from mineral water is distinguished by the temperature of the source: it must reach twenty degrees Celsius or higher at any time of the year. This happens when the source is either in the zone of volcanic activity, or lies so deep that it reaches the warm layers of the rock.
Thermal water is saturated with minerals (composition depends on the specific source), which fell into it from the soil. Their use is ambiguous: the particle size may vary, and the largest, most likely, after use, will remain on the skin surface. Some independent studies show that using thermal water can accelerate tissue regeneration or relieve back pain. Thermal water is used alone or as part of creams, and many brands of pharmaceutical care, for example, Avène and La Roche-Posay, make cosmetics on its basis.
Grape water
August is the most grape month of the year. And while some rejoice at the opportunity to eat them to hell, others ruthlessly squeeze berries for wine. The process produces grape water - a by-product of winemaking. It is used in its cosmetics by the French brand Caudalie. The fact is that dark (red, black and purple) grape varieties are saturated with natural phytoalexin resveratrol - a chemical compound that plants produce to protect against bacteria and fungi. By happy coincidence, it is also an antioxidant - in other words, it can bind free radicals that can oxidize hydrocarbons, acids and fats and thus damage the body's cells.
Grape water is not the only source of antioxidants: these include vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, flavin and flavonoids, which are obtained from vegetables, and tannin, which is found in coffee and tea. In the epicenter of fashionable cosmetic trends, South Korea, products with water obtained from artichokes and coconut are already being sold. There is every reason to believe that vegetable and fruit water will not be today instead of a dinner table on the shelf of your bathroom.
Photo: Iceland Cream, Sociolla, Pudra, Lush, Natura Siberica, Feelunique, LandySchemist, Pharmacosmetica, Ibbi, Caudalie (1, 2), Sweetness