Where Does Skincare Go After You Apply It?

Do your pores really drink up products?

Does retinol pump through our veins?

Cosmetic chemists and dermatologists weigh in.

How Does the Skin Function?

To understand what happens to our skincare once applied, first we need to know how the skin works.

When talking about skincare products, it’s important to note that skin is not a sponge.

“Most products don’t even make it to the dermis, which contains the blood supply.”

According to derms, the majority of ingredients start evaporating into thin air as soon as they’re applied.

However, this gets tricky because of your stratum corneum.

Think of it like bringing a friend to a party where they’re not invited.

“These ingredients penetrate the skin and decrease the skin’s innate barrier resistance.

In doing so, they allow other ingredients to enter along with them,” says Kisos.

There are other factors that can impact this penetrative process as well.

Molecular size also factors in.

A common example is oils, silicones, and wax-based elixirs.

Here’s where things get a bit dicey.

There are some beauty ingredients that manage to infiltrate both the circulatory and lymphatic systems.

Yes, and location matters, too.

The thickness of the skin varies on our bodies, which impacts ingredient or product permeability.

The truth is yes and no.

2021;68(4).