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Post in Age Defiers
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Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

I was interested in Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum based on postings I read on this board.  However, I wondered what the concentration of retinol was.  I e-mailed the company, and this was their response: 

 

Dr. Gross does not disclose the percentages in the products, as the ingredient concentrations are intentionally selected to work synergistically.  In each formulation, Dr. Gross creates a proprietary ingredient blend paired with a specific delivery system to ensure maximum efficacy. Our products are thoroughly tested for irritation and for all skin types.

 

Not only do we test them individually, we also test them against our other products to ensure safety as well as the ability to mix and layer.  As stated before, our focus really is the “cocktail” that the ingredients blend into. We are creating an effective delivery system for our products into your skin.

 

If your inquiry relates to a medical condition, please send us a DM for a full ingredients list to present to your doctor.

 

Thank you and wish you a wonderful day ahead,

 

 

Client Care

 

Am I the only one that finds this unacceptable?  upload_2691164259425623895.jpg

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?


 

@greeneyedgirl107 

 

I find this completely acceptable.  I do expect to see ingredients listed, and brands that I often use provide other information that makes me an informed customer. 

 

However, the formula is proprietary information and I certainly have no problem with that.    I find DDG's answer perfectly fine.  If it were me, I would do the same.  We all protect our creativity, innovation, and talent.  This is no different.

 

 


 

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@greenchilli Thanks for weighing in!  I definitely see your point!

RE: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

Usually when ingredients are listed the first one on the list is the ingredient with the most amount and so on down the list the last ingredient being the least. When it comes to Retinal it's usually 7 to 10% because that's what can legally be sold over the counter with out a prescription. Usually 10% gives the best results. It's possible the percentage was not given to you because it may be lower than 7%. Cosmetic companies along with vitamin companies don't even have to list their ingredients because there is no government regulations required on them. All they are required is that there ingredients are not prescription strength. I read up on skin care with Retinal and an amount if 10% is the best with out a prescription! The better cosmetics companies will put this on their packaging because any amount less does not work very well if at all! I think the Roc products have 10% Retinal.

Re: RE: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@vtpj @greeneyedgirl107 I think retinol max over the counter is 2%, not 10%...

 

Retinoids, on the other hand, is some sort of esther of retinol (I've seem the term used interchangeably incorrectly plenty of times) and that can come in higher concentration. I have a 3% retinoid serum, but the effects are subtler than my 1% retinol cream.

 

I don't even want to begin to imagine what a flakey, red, irritated mess my skin would be with 10% retinol.

Re: RE: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

Oh! I agree about the Retinal! I've heard so many different things about it! It was originally for sever Acne. I've also heard that you should use it every day, your skin will get red,sore & peal but not to stop using it until the dead skin peals off & you have a fresh layer or skin! Then use it once or twice a week but you have to stick to it!!!  So many remidies for so little cures! We just have to figure what works best for each of us!

Re: RE: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@k617 Thanks for the info!

Re: RE: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@vtpj Thanks for the info!

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

It would've bothered me. It does bother me. I guess I don't see why telling you how much active ingredient there is makes their product easier to duplicate. It just seems like it makes it harder for companies to "spin" the product if they choose to be transparent, so they don't. I don't know much about formulating skincare so who am I to say, though?

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@blueviolet21 I do think spin comes into play.  And other companies do list the ingredient concentration...

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

True. Like Skinmedica has the retinol series where you can get 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and so on, so you don't have to guess.

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

i don't think this is a conspiracy. i understand why people want to be as informed as possible (and i encourage it !) and brands have a certain obligation to not keep consumers in the dark. but listing their actual concentrations would be like coke giving away their recipe. as a business, they have a right to not give their secrets away to competition. and everyone needs to remember that these are businesses too (and that's not cynical).

 

there are things we can do as consumers to learn more about products. obviously, the order of ingredients listed is key and incredibly informative. but formula and 'concentration' and chemistry is so much more complicated than mere percentages -- it's a slippery slope of information that can lead to even more confusion and, frankly, misunderstanding. 

 

transparency is good, but within reason. that's my take.

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@jemly Thanks for joining in!  Very good analogy!  Coca-Cola has a "nutrition label" which helps to demystify things a little....! 

Image result for coca cola marilyn monroe

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

I agree with some others. I'd at least like to know the percentage in the most active ingredient(s) -- especially retinols. It makes a huge difference when comparing products. But that's the game. They don't want you to be able to make an educated decision. So you'll buy a product, get no results, they'll tell you that you haven't waited long enough and to buy another jar/tube. And so it goes...

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@talinder Yes, I'd like to know the percentage of the active ingredients!

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

bumpppp

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

I can kind of understand, since listing the concentration as well as all the ingredients makes it easier to replicate and they lose money for the innovation/ideas they come up with. However, it does feel like we are losing out sometimes when they market a product as rose oil, for example, and it's actually an oil blend with like .001% rose oil.

 

Some products do list the star ingredient (2% retinol, 30% vitamin C, 25% AHA etc) and all ingredients list are from the highest amount/concentration to lowest so I kind of guesstimate. I read somewhere that 80% of the product consists of the top 10 ingredients (altho I'm sure it also varies depending on how many ingredients the product contains, whether it's 15 or 40).

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

I feel like they should have told you if you went out of your way to email them. I understand why they don't label concentrations, but if the customer is directly inquiring about what they're selling, they should've been more accommodating 😞

 

This reminds me of this one time I emailed a company about their niacinamide concentration and they told me it was like 0.001% LOL. Why bother even adding it? Idk.

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@myumew I appreciate that you see my viewpoint.  Telling me the concentration isn't going to jeopardize their super secret proprietary formula.

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

"Dr. Gross does not disclose the percentages in the products, as the ingredient concentrations are intentionally selected to work synergistically."

 

 

*eyeroll* that doesn't make any sense. Synergize all you want, that doesn't provide a reason not to list ingredients

Re: Should skincare companies list the concentration of ingredients?

@Madeline7 Thanks for picking up on that!  As if an ingredient only matters if it's paired with others.  

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