Clem's
High-Value Cream
Hyaluronic acid + Niacinamide
Nowadays, one of the
creams purportedly good for the skin are those which contain
hyaluronic acid and niacinamide (Vitamin B3), to wit:
What have been claimed for the active ingredients
"Hyaluronic acid helps skin stretch and flex and
reduces skin wrinkles and lines. Hyaluronic acid is also proven
to help wounds heal faster and can reduce scarring".
"Hyaluronic acid can help increase the moisture content in your skin, which can have various skin benefits, including reducing the appearance of wrinkles and improving wound healing, among others".
"It's is a humectant — meaning it pulls water from the environment to the upper layers of the skin like a sponge." Hyaluronic acid molecules can attract up to 1,000 times their own weight in water, which is why they're so effective at hydrating the skin and keeping it moist and dewy throughout the day. "By increasing water content in the skin, hyaluronic acid can help plump the look of fine lines and wrinkles too," says dermatologist Julie Russak, MD".
"Niacinamide benefits therapeutic, protective, and hydrating properties that reduce the impact of environmental damage, tighten skin, visibly minimize enlarged pores, fight premature signs of aging, and improve skin tone. Using niacinamide for acne is also a good idea".
"Niacinamide has the ability to help improve the skin's collagen production which results in visibly fuller skin with fewer fine lines and wrinkles. Incorporating niacinamide into a skincare routine can help manage signs of ageing by helping to boost the skin's volume".
"And because niacinamide
has antioxidant properties, it may help combat free radicals,
which are known to cause visible signs of aging—such as
wrinkles, sallowness, and sun spots. Niacinamide’s antioxidant
properties may also help calm and soothe the skin, and reduce
the look of redness and uneven skin tone".
Make it yourself
Hyaluronic + niacinamide creams can be rather expensive.
However, you can easily make such creams yourself. All you need
are the active ingredients and a blank base cream. All of these
ingredients can be purchased online. I have used both base
creams and off-the-shelf creams. With the latter, you can easily
check various creams to find one of the right characteristics for your needs. Base
creams which are bought online are a bit of a hit and miss as
you only find out how hard or soft and how oily a finish they
give, after you receive them. For this particular exercise (see
below) I simply used Skin Repair as my base because I am
familiar with its consistency and level of oiliness after
application.
Making my cream
L-R: A digital balance to 2 decimal places; Skin Repair
cream; hyaluronic acid powder; Niacinamide powder; mixing bowl;
cream jar
METHOD
- Weigh out the
amount of cream which you would like to have.
- Add hyaluronic acid
powder to 1.5% (weight to weight basis).
Don't be tempted to add more as higher levels have been found not to make for more effectiveness, and which may cause skin irritation.
- Add niacinamide
powder to 5.0% (weight to weight basis).
- Mix well.
NOTES
- Sample calculation
For 100 g of end-product cream, you will need to add:
1.5 g of hyaluronic acid powder and 5.0 g of niacinamide powder.
- Keep all your
operations as clean as possible and use clean equipment.
This way, the prepared cream should last nearly as long as the expiry date on the manufactured cream which you chose to use (these normally have stabilizing antimicrobial compounds added to them).
If there is a lot of the cream, take out aliquots as needed and store the rest in a refrigerator for a longer shelf life.
10 March
2024
Created
by Clem Kuek