To treat the skin deeply or simply to care for it daily, the use of treatments containing suitable active ingredients is necessary. Among the common ingredients adopted in this field, you will find lecithin. This ingredient, responsible for the INCI list, is authorised in the formulation of organic skincare products.
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What is "Lecithin" and what is its utility?
Summary
Published November 5, 2021,
updated on February 3, 2024,
by
Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences
—
3 min read
What is lecithin?
Lecithin, or lecithin, is an ingredient that originates from the plant or animal world. It belongs to the family of phospholipids and is found in abundance in dried fruits or oilseeds such as soy, cocoa or peanuts. This ingredient is naturally present in animals, particularly in egg yolk and in the human body after synthesis by the liver. It has a lipidic texture, that is to say oily, yellowish and almost odourless.
The lecithin found in soybeans is among the lipids commonly used in the food industry and in cosmetology. This ingredient is extracted from soybeans by cold pressing the seeds. At the end of the process, the seeds produce a liquid composed of soybean oil and lecithin. To separate them, it is essential to decant the resulting solution.
What is the usefulness of lecithin?
Lecithin is primarily used in the food industry for its nutritional qualities. Indeed, it is present in the majority of processed foods, notably chocolate, spreadable paste, creams, ice creams, sauces, desserts, certain biscuits, or industrial sliced bread.
In the cosmetology industry, this ingredient is valued for its role as an emulsifying agent. Emulsifiers, also known as surfactants or surface agents, are ingredients that form an interfacial film around water droplets to stabilise the emulsion over time.
Lecithin also possesses emollient properties that soften and smooth the skin. Indeed, it contains active ingredients capable of relaxing and softening skin tissues by nourishing the cells. Moreover, by utilising this ingredient in skincare, it is entirely possible to benefit from its ability to neutralise the electrical charge on the skin's surface. It is worth noting that lecithin is present in approximately 5.21% of beauty treatments, including eyebrow pencils, eye pencils, kohls, anti-ageing face creams, anti-cellulite oils, and slimming treatments.
What are the benefits of lecithin?
Lecithin, especially that derived from soy, offers numerous benefits to the body. Indeed, the active ingredients it contains contribute to the regeneration of the membrane of brain cells and the synthesis of acetylcholine, which transmits nerve signals to neurons. They also help prevent symptoms related to neurodegenerative diseases and dementia. Lecithin also impacts the cardiovascular system by regulating cholesterol levels and acts on the liver by emulsifying fats.
Lecithin is also a beneficial ingredient for the skin. Besides emulsifying the constituent ingredients of skin and hair care products, this element softens and smooths the skin surface. Thanks to its emollient action, it hydrates the epidermal cells, strengthens the hydrolipidic barrier and prevents skin dehydration. Lecithin also contains antioxidants that combat the effects of ageing, vitamin E that renews cells, and properties that stimulate collagen production.
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