Cosmetic Chemistry

Cosmetic chemistry for the Skin Treatment Professional is not another dictionary of cosmetic ingredients, but an informative look at understanding the subject of cosmetic chemistry from an aesthetician and beauty therapist's viewpoint. The importance of the modern beauty therapist and aesthetician possessing basic cosmetic chemistry knowledge is becoming increasingly evident with modern body and skin care cosmetics are rapidly encroaching upon the medical field with an ever-increasing range of truly effective products. In addition to requiring accurate skin diagnosis skills, the skin treatment professional of the future will need to know, with a degree of accuracy, what the effects of prescribed products and treatments will be when administered to specific skin conditions. Cosmetic Chemistry for the Skin Treatment Professional explores the ingredients most commonly found in modern cosmetic products, explains their actions and roles in the formulations, and relates them to the effect they may have on specific conditions of the skin. This in addition to providing insights on how the various compounds provide beneficial outcomes, potential negative behaviors and contraindications to specific conditions are discussed. In the first chapter, Florence explains the basics of cosmetic formulations and their component functions and properties in therapist's terms. Along the way, Florence shares the skill of how understand product labels and evaluate likely product performance and contraindications from reading the label rather than believing marketing hype. Florence also explores the linking skin structure and function to ingredient choice for better treatment results and client satisfaction. She does this by approaching the major skin conditions therapists see on a daily basis and applying the knowledge of what is happening to the skin's cells to the types of ingredients that will provide best therapeutic effect. This approach will help therapists provide more informed decisions about treatment strategies and advice regarding client home care options. "True cosmetic chemistry concerns itself not only with what is in our skin care and cosmetic products, but what chemical occurrences are happening in and around the various cells within the skin and how the chemicals in the cosmetics interact with the skins own chemistry".