Are more active ingredients better?

The more active ingredients, the better, right?.

No.

We have reproduced this experiment many times in the laboratory. We put skin cells in a plate and treat them with very little active ingredient dissolved in water. The result, nothing.

Then we increase the amount of active ingredient. Then you see an effect, the cells react and start to reproduce more, move better and produce more collagen and hyaluronic acid. Perfect.

Finally, we greatly increase the concentration of active ingredient. And then the same substance that revitalized them, kills them. It has become toxic.

Paracelsus, a physician in the 16th century, stated that "Everything is poison and nothing is poison, only the dose makes the poison." That is, no substance is toxic per se. Toxicity is determined by the amount of each substance. There is a toxic dose of water and a healthy dose of botulinum toxin.

In an era in which many brands advertise themselves as "toxin-free," it is important to keep this scientific reality in mind. "Toxin-free" means nothing because no substance is toxic per se. The same slogan would make scientific sense if it said, "All the ingredients in our products are below the amount at which they are toxic."

It is not the substance but its concentration that makes it toxic.

The same applies to slogans like "more than 20 active ingredients". There is a specific space in the cream for the ingredients; more active ingredients means less quantity of each. Less quantity may imply falling below the amount at which that active ingredient becomes effective.

Vitamin C is a good example. Too little does nothing. The right amount is a great antioxidant. An excess irritates the skin.

The important thing is to determine the concentration at which an active ingredient is effective (if very little is used, it is not toxic but it does nothing either). And not to exceed that.

If we put more, then the skin reacts negatively.