AquaCacteen™ is a botanical complex based on the Barbary fig stem extract and designed to soothe and calm irritated skin, protect from environmental stress factors, and deeply hydrate with long-lasting effects.
Chelating agent
Chelating agents play an essential role in cosmetic products' stability, safety, and efficacy. They form complexes with metal ions and thus reduce water hardness, potentiate antioxidants and preservatives, and stabilize peroxides in specialized formulations.
Metal ions react with oxygen in the air to create free radicals and other reactive species that can change a product's color, odor, or other physical properties. Even a tiny quantity of metal ions may catalyze unnecessary reactions and processes in the formulation.
Chelating agents enhance the efficiency of preservatives, especially biocides, which are incorporated into formulas to eliminate microorganisms responsible for product spoilage. Chelators can improve the activity of preservatives and allow formulators to decrease their concentrations in formulas.
Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions are mainly responsible for water hardness, which decreases detergents' (surfactants) cleansing performance. Chelating agents trap those ions, making the water softer and improving cleansing agents' effectiveness.In peroxide-containing products, chelating agents act as stabilizers, preventing peroxide decomposition and side reactions caused or catalyzed by metal ions. They enhance peroxide stability and prolong the product's shelf life.
Caprylhydroxamic Acid (CHA) is a hydroxamic acid used in personal care formulations as a preservative suppressing microbial growth and a chelating agent making complexes with metal ions. Its origin can be natural or synthetic.
Citric Acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) found in many fruits. It has a polar molecule and able to disrupt the coherence of corneocytes of the epidermis. This process called the chemical peeling type of exfoliation eliminating dull and old cells from the skin surface.
Crataegus Oxyacantha (Hawthorn) Flower Extract is a brown liquid rich in chlorogenic acids. Thanks to its hydroxyl groups of those acids, Hawthorn flower extract can chelate metallic ions like iron, detoxify cells, and limit inflammatory reactions.
Disodium EDTA (Edetate disodium) is a sodium salt of a water-solvable amino acid that stabilizes emulsions and increases formulations' shelf-life, preventing reactions between ingredients. It is also a strong anionic chelating agent that binds metal ions (cations) like Calcium, Nickel, Chromium, Iron, and etc., from the outer layer of the skin.
Thanks to multiple beneficial effects on the skin, Gluconolactone is used in skin care applications as an exfoliating, chelating, and hydrating ingredient with potent antioxidant action.
Kojic acid is a hydroxy acid with the chemical name 5-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-4-pyrone. It is produced by several species of fungi, especially Aspergillus oryzae, which Japanese common name is "koji".
Lactobionic acid is a polyhydroxy acid (PHA) that can be produced from lactose (a disaccharide with glucose and galactose units), where the glucose unit is oxidated into gluconic acid.
Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae) is a tree native to India and cultivated in all the tropical and subtropical areas of the world.
Phytic acid is a natural active phyliance derived from rice, corn, or wheat bran. It is a gentle exfoliating antioxidant that fends off skin-aging free radicals. It prevents blackheads and shrinks pores.
Sodium Citrate is a common name for sodium salts (monosodium, disodium, or trisodium citrate) of citric acid is used as a food-grade preservative.
The common sorrel extract is a natural remedy against spider veins thanks to an antiplatelet effect.
Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine is a derivative of Ethylenediamine in which all hydrogens connected with nitrogens are replaced with four 2-hydroxypropyl groups. It is a clear, viscous, almost odorless liquid, particularly suited as a neutralizing agent for polymers in clear gel formulations.
Tetrasodium EDTA is a sodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (diamine amino acid), a widely used chelating agent against metal ions.