Famous Formulations: Analyzing Celebrity Skin Care

Celebrity skin care lines have had quite the following lately, due, in large part, to social media. Social media lends a hand in allowing celebrities to connect with their fans like never before. Through this seamless connection, stars are able to give their followers an intimate look into their skin care routines and what products they are using. Regardless of whether they use their products on a regular basis or not, everyone sees beautiful, glowing skin. Let’s dive into a few of the most popular celebrity skincare lines and their ingredients.  

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HONEST BY JESSICA ALBA 

Jessica Alba has been in the wellness space for quite some time. The Honest Company was co-founded by Alba in May of 2012. In the last 10 years, Alba has grown The Honest Company from a diaper and wipe e-commerce business into a multimillion-dollar wellness brand that includes an in-depth skin care line. It features a plethora of products for what seems to be any and all skin concerns. The Honest Company recently launched an acne line this year. Here are some of the common ingredients in the products.  

• Get Clarity Cleanser contains apple alpha hydroxy acids (malic acid) in addition to glycolic, lactic, and citric acids. Everyone loves an exfoliating cleanser; however, it can be confusing for the consumer to understand what apple alpha hydroxy acids really mean.  
• Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine is a coconut oil-derived skin surfactant that is present in many of the different cleansers from The Honest Company.8 It is an alternative to other harsh skin care surfactants on the market.  
• Coconut acid is a mixture of fatty acids derived from coconut, commonly found in the moisturizers and cleansers from The Honest Company.7  
• Isoamyl laurate is a skin softening emollient derived from beets and coconut, and it serves to enhance the velvety texture in cleansing skin and hair products.6 This is common in natural skin care found in health food stores and the like.  

• Hydroxyacetophenone is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative booster.5  

RHODE SKINCARE BY HAILEY BIEBER 

Hailey Bieber has become notorious for her glazed donut skin. So much so that she has started a skin care company so that her audience can obtain that same coveted glowing complexion. The California-based model is the face of the line, and her official title is “The Creative of Everything.” Her love for hydration-based products prompted Bieber to collaborate on a line that focuses on hydrated skin – Rhode Skincare contains a peptide-glazing fluid, barrier restore cream, and three flavored lip treatments. Skin care professionals can all agree that glowing skin is not achieved from a serum or cream alone. Here is a peek into a few ingredients in the model’s line. 

• Acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer is a copolymer used to increase viscosity as an emulsion stabilizer and a film firmer.4 

• Capryloyl glycerin or sebacic acid copolymer is a compound used to protect skin; as an emollient for skin and hair, it leaves a smooth feel to skin. It is a known film former, skin protectant, and conditioner.4  
• Polyvinyl alcohol is a polymer of vinyl alcohol used as a binding agent, viscosity increasing 
• agent, and film former. Polymer alcohol can support the appearance of a glow through a film on skin.4  

KYLIE COSMETICS BY KYLIE JENNER 

Kylie Jenner is a teenage reality star turned beauty mogul. Jenner dipped her toes into the industry by launching her now infamous lip kits, which have branched from cosmetics only into skin and baby care. Collaborations with her famous siblings, the Kardashians, have made it easy to spread the word about her new line. Although Jenner is no longer the primary shareholder of Kylie Cosmetics – she sold her 51% stake in the company to beauty brand Coty for $600 million in 2019 – she continues to serve as the face of the brand.1 Here are a few of the line’s key ingredients.  

• Phenoxyethanol is a preservative and a stabilizer, mainly used in perfumes and soaps. Exposure to phenoxyethanol has been linked to reactions ranging from eczema to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions. Though studies show that if a person is not allergic, it is a relatively safe preservative to be exposed to.2 
• Aminomethyl propanol is a synthetic ingredient used in cosmetics as a pH adjuster. It is considered safe when used in amounts of 2% or less in cosmetic formulas.3  
• Maltodextrin is an absorbent, binding agent, stabilizer, film-forming agent, and skin-softener.      

Thankfully, nothing terribly unexpected was found in analyzing the ingredients of these celebrity skin care brands. However, there are more filler and preservative-based ingredients in these lines than what most professionals will care for. This is also to be expected for a store-bought line that has a longer shelf life and is produced in large quantities to meet consumer demand.  

Professionals know that the difference between professional skin care and drugstore skin care is usually in the quality of the ingredients, the concentration of actives, and the lack of filler and stabilizers. With the following that celebrities have on social media, it can be enticing for clients to purchase based on what they see online. Remember the power in sharing knowledge, the why behind professional lines, and educating clients on the benefits of purchasing products vetted by their skin care practitioner.  

References 

1. Gruber, L. (2022, August 9). How Kylie Jenner transformed from reality TV teen to Beauty Mogul – Kylie Cosmetics. L’Officiel USA. Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/kylie-cosmetics-kylie-jenner-beauty-brand-success-billionaire 

1. Phenoxyethanol. Safe Cosmetics. (2022, April 26). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.safecosmetics.org/chemicals/phenoxyethanol/ 

1. Ewg Skin Deep: What is Aminomethyl Propanol. EWG. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/700348-AMINOMETHYL_PROPANOL/ 

1. Peptide glazing fluid. rhode. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.rhodeskin.com/products/peptide-glazing-fluid#ingredients 

1. Ewg Skin Deep: What is hydroxyacetophenone. EWG. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/862367-HYDROXYACETOPHENONE/ 

1. Ewg Skin Deep: What is Isoamyl Laurate. EWG. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/719892-ISOAMYL_LAURATE/ 

1. Ewg Skin Deep: What is coconut acid. EWG. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/701551-COCONUT_ACID/ 

1. Ewg Skin Deep: What is cocamidopropyl HYDROXYSULTAINE. EWG. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/701523-COCAMIDOPROPYL_HYDROXYSULTAINE/ 

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Ashley Deckard has been a licensed, practicing aesthetician in sunny Denver, Colorado since 2013. While gaining experience in the industry, she realized there was something special about holistic skin care treatments. Deckard’s love of working with the body’s natural intelligence to heal itself led her to working with CBD. Education is at the heart of what she does, and the last five years of her career have been dedicated to developing future industry professionals. Her passion lies in providing a space for individuals to unwind, renew, and tune in. In addition to her practice, Deckard is the Assistant Director of Education for Color Up CBD.