What ingredients does a lip serum typically contain?

This is a formula designed tohydrate and nourish the lips, repair them and protect them from damage. Generally, these lip treatments can be applied in the evening before bed as well as in the morning before makeup. They are particularly useful for counteracting the dryness caused by certain lipsticks. However, it is necessary to wait a few seconds post-application before applying lipstick. Moreover, some lip serums can be applied not only to the lips but also to the lip contour to smooth out fine lines, which are common in this area of the face.

Lip serums are most commonly direct aqueous or emulsified gels (majority aqueous phase, minority oily phase). They contain various categories of ingredients:

• The solvent : Most often appearing first on the INCI list, thewater is the most common solvent in lip serums. It dissolves the other compounds present in the formula.

• Gelling agents: The substantial texture is provided to lip serums through texturising agents, which are most often polymers. There are several types, such as sclerotium gum (INCI name: "Sclerotium Gum") derived from a fungus of the Sclerotium genus, the xanthan gum (INCI name: "Xanthan Gum"), a blend of natural sugar polymers produced by biotechnology, or even tara gum (INCI name: "Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum"), a natural polysaccharide derived from the endosperm of the tara tree seed.

• The active ingredients: Generally, those present in lip serums are moisturising (e.g.: hyaluronic acid) and/or warming (e.g.: chilli extract) and/or smoothing to reduce wrinkles and fine lines (e.g.: tripeptide) and/or soothing (e.g.: adenosine).

• Humectant Compounds: The humectant nature of an ingredient is based on its ability to retain water molecules due to its hygroscopic power (strong affinity for water). On the market, the potential humectant compounds present in a lip serum are the glycerine, the propylene glycol, polyethylene glycols (PEGs) or even the pentylene glycol. As a reminder, as a precautionary principle, Typology excludes PEGs, as well as propylene glycol, from its formulas. The plumping lip serum presented below contains vegetable glycerine combined with pentylene glycol.

• Fatty substances: Some lip serums contain vegetable and/or mineral oils, in order to form a film on the surface of the lips and limit dehydration. As a reminder, Typology excludes from its formulas all oils derived from petrochemicals. The plumping lip serum presented below contains extract of purslane (INCI name: "Portulaca Pilosa Extract") and vegetable oil composed mainly of fatty acid triglycerides (INCI name: "Olus Oil").

• Emulsifiers: The blending of fatty substances with water is made possible by the presence of surfactants, which disperse oil droplets in the aqueous solution to form a stable emulsion. For instance, in the plumping lip serum, the surfactant used is sorbitan isostearate (INCI name: "Sorbitan Isostearate").

• Preservatives: Lip serums are typically a gel aqueous formulation, which can be a breeding ground for bacteria. To maintain the product's effectiveness and safety, it is essential to incorporate preservatives. In natural skincare, sodium benzoate is often used as an antifungal preservative. Although it is permitted in organic products, its use is regulated. The maximum allowed concentration in finished preparations is 2.5% (in acid) for rinse-off products, excluding oral care products, and 0.5% (in acid) for leave-on products. Sodium benzoate (INCI name: "Sodium Benzoate") is the preservative used in the plumping lip serum by Typology.

Note : There are other types of ingredients sometimes found in lip serums such as fragrances, either naturally derived or synthetically produced, or even pigments, to provide colour to the product.