Dry, rough or scaly skin can happen for a variety of reasons including moisture loss, exposure to the environment, disease, and just regular wear and tear from your place of work to chores at home. When developing products to soften skin back to its original state, health and beauty manufacturers often turn to emollients. Emollients are natural ingredients or chemicals that moisturize and soften the skin by trapping moisture in the outer layers of the skin--called the stratum corneum--and penetrating deep into the skin to help replenish lipids and provide moisture to the cells beneath. The stratum corneum is the part of the skin most vulnerable to the dryness and flaking that causes skin to feel rough.
Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
Acetylated lanolin alcohol is one of the most common emollients that can be found in skin-care products, including lotions, gels and creams made by major brands such as Suave, L'Oreal and Salon Selective. Acetylated lanolin alcohol is an emollient that comes from sheep's wool. Sheep use the oil to protect and waterproof their bodies. When used on human skin, acetylated lanolin alcohol mixes with water and forms an emulsion. This penetrates deep into the skin and softens it while leaving a protective layer to trap moisture.
Stearic Acid
Stearic acid is another emollient that can be found in skin-care product lines. Stearic acid is a form of saturated fat that when eaten can contribute to health problems such as heart disease. However, when used as a skin-care ingredient, the fatty acids mix with water and form a safe emulsion. This allows the fats to penetrate the skin cells and soften the skin. Although when eaten in excess saturated fats can be dangerous, the safety of the product for use in skin care has been verified by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil can also be found in many skin-care products, and like other skin softeners, acts as an emollient to soften the skin. Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of fully matured coconuts. To extract the product, coconut solids are mixed with water and squeezed to remove all of the oil from the solids. The resulting coconut milk is left to stand by itself until the water and oils naturally separate.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is an emollient that can be found in a wide list of products, ranging from lotions for dry skin to stretch-mark removal products. Cocoa butter is made by hanging bags of cocoa beans from the ceiling in a warm room. The warmth of the room causes the cocoa butter to drip from the beans into containers below, leaving the cocoa solids in the bags. The cocoa butter can then be processed into skin-softening health and beauty products.
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