Eyelash serums have become increasingly popular, promising to enhance lash length, volume, and overall health. Covergirl's eyelash serum is one such product, and understanding its ingredients is crucial for assessing its potential effectiveness and safety. This article provides a detailed review of the ingredients found in Covergirl's eyelash serum, explaining their functions and potential benefits.
The foundation of most cosmetic formulations, water acts as a solvent, dissolving other ingredients and providing a base for the serum. In cosmetics, water is purified and deionized to remove mineral ions. Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Normal (well kind of - it's purified and deionized) water. Usually the main solvent in cosmetic products.
Propanediol is a multi-functional ingredient with a silky feel. It serves as an emulsion stabilizer, solvent, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. According to manufacturer information, it also moisturizes the skin and enhances the product's feel. It works synergistically with preservatives and improves the water resistance of sunscreens. A multi-functional, silky feeling helper ingredient that can do quite many things. It's used as an emulsion stabilizer, solvent and a broad spectrum antimicrobial. According to manufacturer info, it's also a moisturizer and helps to make the product feel great on the skin. It works synergistically with preservatives and helps to improve water-resistance of sunscreens.
PVP is a film-forming polymer. Its main function is being an important film former. These three letters stand for Poly Vinyl Pyrollidone, a big molecule created from repeated units of Vinyl Pyrrolidone, aka VP. Its main thing is being an important film former. It was the first synthetic polymer introduced as a hair fixative in the 1950s instead of insect-derived Shellac. PVP attaches to surfaces like hair and skin, forming a thin, even film. This film helps hold hairstyles or extend the wear of color cosmetics and sunscreens. However, PVP films can be brittle and hygroscopic, meaning they absorb water, which can degrade the film. The disadvantage of PVP is that the film is a bit brittle and that PVP loves water (hygroscopic) that tends to destroy the film. This is the reason why hair styled with a PVP based product loses its style in high humidity. To fix this problem, there are now several versions of VP containing film formers that are less sensitive to humidity, for example, the molecule called VP/VA Copolymer. So PVP likes to attach itself to surfaces such as the hair and the skin and forms a nice, thin, even film there. The film is useful for holding a hairstyle or extending the wear of color cosmetics and sunscreens.
Butylene glycol (BG) is a multi-tasking, colorless, syrupy liquid. It acts as a solvent, penetration enhancer, slip agent, and humectant. BG helps the product absorb faster and deeper into the skin, spread nicely, and attract water. It’s an ingredient whose safety hasn’t been questioned so far by anyone (at least not that we know of). BG is approved by Ecocert and is also used enthusiastically in natural products. Butylene glycol, or let’s just call it BG, is a multi-tasking colorless, syrupy liquid. It’s a great pick for creating a nice feeling product. BG’s main job is usually to be a solvent for the other ingredients. Other tasks include helping the product to absorb faster and deeper into the skin (penetration enhancer), making the product spread nicely over the skin (slip agent), and attracting water (humectant) into the skin.
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Cellulose gum is derived from cellulose, the major component of green plant cell walls. It thickens cosmetic products and creates gel formulas, providing a good slip to the formula and being compatible with most co-ingredients. A nice little helper ingredient that can thicken up cosmetic products and create beautiful gel formulas. It's derived from cellulose, the major component of the cell wall of green plants. It is compatible with most co-ingredients and gives a very good slip to the formulas.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative used in cosmetics. It is considered safe and gentle and can be used up to 1% worldwide. It has great thermal stability and works on a wide range of pH levels. Often used with ethylhexylglycerin, it enhances the preservative activity of phenoxyethanol. It’s pretty much the current IT-preservative. It’s safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it’s not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben. 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). It’s not something new: it was introduced around 1950 and today it can be used up to 1% worldwide. It can be found in nature - in green tea - but the version used in cosmetics is synthetic. Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too.
Panthenol, also known as pro-vitamin B5, moisturizes the skin by attracting and holding water. It also has anti-inflammatory and skin-protecting properties, reducing irritation caused by other ingredients. Additionally, panthenol is beneficial in nail and hair care products, providing hydration. An easy-to-formulate, commonly used, nice to have ingredient that’s also called pro-vitamin B5. Its main job in skincare products is to moisturise the skin. It’s a humectant meaning that it can help the skin to attract water and then hold onto it. Another great thing about panthenol is that it has anti-inflammatory and skin protecting abilities. A study shows that it can reduce the irritation caused by less-nice other ingredients (e.g. If that wasn’t enough panthenol is also useful in nail and hair care products. As for the hair the hydration effect is also true there.
Ethylhexylglycerin is often paired with phenoxyethanol to enhance its preservative action. If you have spotted ethylhexylglycerin on the ingredient list, most probably you will see there also the current IT-preservative, phenoxyethanol.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent that binds to metal ions, preventing them from causing harmful changes in the cosmetic formula. It helps maintain the product's stability and extends its shelf life. An abbreviation that pops up on a lot of ingredient lists. It stands for EthyleneDiamineTetraacetic Acid and it's a famous molecule for being an excellent chelating agent, i.e. a molecule that can bind to metal ions (coming usually from water) and make them harmless in a cosmetic formula. With a chelating agent, cosmetic formulas stay nice longer. EDTA is an acid molecule and its salt versions are even more often used, such as the super common Disodium EDTA. Super common little helper ingredient that helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time. It does so by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes.
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This ingredient works as a surfactant and oil solubilizer when coupled with other ingredients. It also moisturizes the skin through both occlusive and humectant properties. The occlusive nature prevents water evaporation, while ricinoleic acid in castor oil attracts water. A helper ingredient that usually comes to the formula coupled with PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil. The two together work as surfactants and oil solubilizers. It also has some unique moisturizing properties as it is both occlusive and humectant. The former one is common for oils and waxes and it means that it sits on top of the skin hindering water to evaporate out of the top layers. The latter one, the humectant property, is surprising and comes from the unique property of ricinoleic acid (the dominant fatty acid in castor oil) having an extra water-loving -OH group on its otherwise oil-loving fatty chain.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid and a primary building block of hair keratin and skin collagen. An amino acid that is one of the primary building blocks of hair keratin and skin collagen. A semi-essential (infants cannot synthesize it, but adults can) amino acid that is one of the primary building blocks of hair keratin and skin collagen.
Glycerin is a multi-functional ingredient that provides a soft feel to the formula, acts as a humectant and emollient, serves as a solvent, and helps disperse pigments evenly. It also boosts the antimicrobial activity of preservatives. A really multi-functional helper ingredient that can do several things in a skincare product: it can bring a soft and pleasant feel to the formula, it can act as a humectant and emollient, it can be a solvent for some other ingredients (for example it can help to stabilize perfumes in watery products) and it can also help to disperse pigments more evenly in makeup products. And that is still not all: it can also boost the antimicrobial activity of preservatives. It’s a handy multi-tasking ingredient that gives the skin a nice, soft feel. A multi-functional helper ingredient that acts as a humectant and emollient.
When combined with phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol forms Optiphen, a blend that preserves cosmetics and provides a good feel to the product. The blend of these two (caprylyl glycol + phenoxyethanol) is called Optiphen, which not only helps to keep your cosmetics free from nasty things for a long time but also gives a good feel to the finished product.
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
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P-Anisic Acid is a helper ingredient that helps to make the products stay nice longer, aka preservative. It’s pH dependent and works best at acidic pH levels (3-5). A helper ingredient that helps to make the products stay nice longer, aka preservative. It’s pH dependent and works best at acidic pH levels (3-5).
Levulinic Acid is an Ecocert-approved, natural preservative considered gentle and non-irritating. It is typically used in preservative blends, as it is not sufficient on its own. An Ecocert-approved, natural preservative that counts as gentle and non-irritating to the skin. Usually, it comes to the formula as part of a preservative blend as it's not enough on its own.
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 is a five-amino acid peptide attached to myristic acid to enhance bioavailability. It is known to stimulate keratin genes. A five amino acid peptide (Lys-Leu-Ala-Lys-Lys) attached to the oil-soluble fatty acid, myristic acid for better bioavailability. It is known to significantly stimulate keratin genes, i. e.
Biotin, also known as Vitamin H, is a key component of many enzymes in the body. It is often taken as a supplement for stronger nails and hair. While its effects when not taken as a supplement are less clear, manufacturers claim it can smooth the skin and strengthen hair. Also-called: Vitamin H Also called vitamin H, biotin is the main component of many enzymes in our body. A nice ingredient to take as a supplement for stronger nails and hair. When you do not take it as a supplement its effects are a bit more questionable but according to manufacturer info it can smooth the skin and strengthen the hair.
Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium form of hyaluronic acid (HA), a polymer found in the skin that helps retain water, keeping the skin plump and elastic. It is a humectant, drawing moisture to the skin. As far as skincare goes, sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid are pretty much the same and the two names are used interchangeably. It's the salt form of famous humectant and natural moisturizing factor, hyaluronic acid. It’s the - sodium form - cousin of the famous NMF, hyaluronic acid (HA). If HA does not tell you anything we have a super detailed, geeky explanation about it here. The TL; DR version of HA is that it's a huge polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) found in the skin that acts as a sponge helping the skin to hold onto water, being plump and elastic.
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 combines Tripeptide-1 (GHK) with Biotin. This peptide is claimed to reduce hair loss and make eyelashes appear longer, fuller, and stronger. In-vitro studies suggest it promotes hair bulb keratinocyte proliferation and helps hair anchorage. As for proof, the manufacturer did some in-vitro (made in test tubes) studies that show that our molecule can promote hair bulb keratinocyte proliferation and also helps optimal hair anchorage by stimulating the synthesis and organization of the adhesion molecules laminin 5 and collagen IV. This means that our peptide might help the hair to be stronger and to stay longer in its place, though these are only in vitro results that might or might not translate to real-world use. As for a clinical, made on real people study, the manufacturer did one for eyelash growth with 30 volunteers. A three amino acid peptide where the famous collagen fragment, Tripeptide-1, aka GHK is combined with Biotin, the well-known supplement for stronger nails and hairs. The result of the combination is Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, a peptide claimed to be helpful for reducing hair loss and for making the eyelashes appear longer, fuller, and stronger.
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
Potassium sorbate is a preservative that works mainly against mold and yeast. It requires water and an acidic pH to break down into its active form, sorbic acid. It is not a strong preservative on its own and is typically used with other preservatives. It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. It’s not a strong one and doesn’t really work against bacteria, but more against mold and yeast. To do that it has to break down to its active form, sorbic acid. For that to happen, there has to be water in the product and the right pH value (pH 3-4). But even if everything is right, it’s not enough on its own. If you see potassium sorbate you should see some other preservative next to it too.
Silica is a white, powdery substance that is a major component of glass and sand. In cosmetics, it is often used in products designed to keep the skin matte due to its oil-absorbing abilities. A white powdery thing that's the major component of glass and sand. In cosmetics, it’s often in products that are supposed to keep your skin matte as it has great oil-absorbing abilities.
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