Superintendent pharmacist and head of manufacturing, Avnish Patel has over eleven years of experience as a registered pharmacist and holds a PhD from the UCL School of Pharmacy.

As far as skincare goes, sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid are pretty much the same and the two names are used interchangeably. It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85°C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10). Aimed at dry skin types, it’s definitely the thicker/richer of the two moisturisers Dermatica offers. It helps the skin to repair sun damage, calm down inflammation and keep maintain good levels of moisture.Judging from the ingredient list, "Dermatica - Ultralight Recovery Moisturiser" works well for improving skin hydration The formulation is based on a combination of good humectants and emollients. I do find that this takes a little while to blend into my skin but, once it does, it doesn’t feel particularly heavy or greasy. The only downside is that it can sometimes pill if you apply certain products over the top – this mostly only happens with sunscreen sticks for me though! If you’re interested in their prescription retinoid plan but you’re not sure if it’s right for you, take a look at my full review here. Keep in mind you must always use an SPF when you are using skin actives or when you have rosacea, so this cream will not be sufficient on its own in the morning.

c. puts it in his awesome blog post, squalane's main things are " emolliency , surface occlusion, and TEWL prevention all with extreme cosmetic elegance". Also, has some antimicrobial activity so it can help to boost the effectiveness of the preservative system.We also checked Prospector for sodium hyaluronate versions actually used in cosmetic products and found that the most common molecular weight was 1. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne. You can read about the start of my journey here in a previous post Dermatica – My Journey which was actually posted a year ago now so I will be back to update on this soon!

These items don’t even have to be dirty, or have bacteria on them, to cause a breakout — the pressure on your oil glands is enough. It starts off as a thick cream (almost like a moisturiser) but as you warm it up in your hands it slowly melts into a runny oil. This means that our molecule is part water- and part oil-loving, so it not only works as a thickener but also as an emulsion stabilizer. Because squalane boosts hydration in the skin, it also comes with plenty of benefits: it is an antioxidant and can help fight free radicals and skin damage. Regarding conversion to AA, there seems to be no data about it, so we can neither deny nor confirm it.Although, I have to say that the silicone finish is very subtle – this doesn’t feel at all slippery or waxy. It usually has to be neutralized with a base (such as sodium hydroxide) for the thickening to occur and it creates viscous, clear gels that also feel nice and non-tacky on the skin. Physical barriers to the skin, like wearing a hat to minimise UV exposure, can be harder to remove from your routine as they’re important for your skin health. My Dermatica Skin Glow treatment actually includes 4% azelaic acid… I think many of the other personalised formulas do too! The subscription service is also very convenient, so I never have to worry about running out or having to go to the pharmacy for it.

If you’re still suffering from breakouts despite caring for your skin properly and eliminating acne triggers, don’t worry. I have applied this after Soolantra (waiting the half an hour for the Soolantra to dry), and found it is pleasant to apply and soothing.

I used to think acne was just something teenagers dealt with, but when I hit 30, I started getting it despite having clear skin throughout my teens. As an antioxidant, this ingredient also helps reduce the signs of aging such as fine-lines and wrinkles.