DermIdentical (or skin identical) ingredients are compounds found naturally in your skin. Our aim was to mimic the skin composition in our creams using DermIdentical ingredients to help nourish, replenish, protect, moisturize and accelerate the skins own regeneration process by supplying the skin all the necessary building blocks it requires to produce young new skin cells, to maintain skin barrier function and to keep the skin adequately moisturized.
In order to determine what DermIdentical ingredients to use we first need to consider the composition of the skin. The composition of sebum is approximately 45% triglycerides, 25% wax esters, 12% squalene, 10% fatty acids and 4% cholesterol while the composition of the epidermis (the outer most layer) is 30-35% fatty acids (with the majority being oleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid and stearic acid), 30-35% ceramides and 30-35% cholesterol. Phosphatidylcholine is the major constituent of all cell membranes so is another important lipid found in skin cells. It also contains a complex mixture of water soluble compounds, such as amino acids, organic acids, urea, and inorganic ions.
Dermidentical ingredients used in our cream to mimic those found in the epidermis and sebum include squalene, cholesterol, Ceramides 1, Cereamide 2, Ceremide 3, Phosphatidylcholine, Low Molecular Weight (LMW) hyaluronic acid, glycerol, urea, Jojoba oil which has a chemical composition close to the skins sebum including wax esters and fatty acids, and finally Passion fruit oil for its fatty acid content which closely resembles that of the epidermis.
Underneath the epidermis lies the dermis layer which is composed mainly of collagen, elastin and what is called ground substance which is composed mainly of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin. Sebaceous glands within these skin layers secrete sebum onto the skin which forms the majority of lipids that cover the skin.
Collagen and elastin are too large a protein to absorb through the skin so cannot be effectively used in face creams so we need to find ways to support their production and protect them from degrading with ingredients like Vitamin C, Peptides, N-Acetyl Glucosamine, Niacinamide and retinol while hyaluronic acid production can be supported with ingredients such as Acetyl Glucosamine and Niacinamide.
With these skin identical ingredients combined with effective key ingredients we created a synergistic combination that addresses the many layers of skin to ensure their health and longevity.
