Soothing

Soothing ingredients help to reduce the feeling of skin discomfort: they reduce the feeling of tightness, burning, tingling and visible redness after washing, acids, retinoids, shaving, sun or wind. In the EU cosmetic classification, such substances are classified as components that make the skin more comfortable, but in practice they are often introduced into formulas for sensitive, reactive and damaged skin. Often they do not work in isolation, but together with moisturizers and lipids of the skin barrier, so the product not only softens unpleasant sensations, but also helps the skin to recover faster after irritating factors. Confirmations: the CosIng database of the European Commission on Cosmetic Ingredients and reviews on the dermatological use of dexpanthenol. (single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu)

Panthenol and bisabolol are often found in such products. Panthenol binds water, maintains the barrier of the stratum corneum and has been shown in studies to reduce the symptoms of irritation, dryness, roughness and itching, which is why it is especially loved in creams and balms for the face, hands and the area around the nose. Bisabolol, a well-known component of chamomile, is considered as an anti-inflammatory and antiirritant agent; experimental data show that it is able to reduce the severity of the inflammatory skin reaction. Sometimes aloe is also included in this function: according to NCCIH, the external use of aloe gel has been studied for burns and other skin conditions where reducing discomfort and supporting healing are important. Such ingredients are also useful for hair and scalp: they reduce unpleasant sensations after coloring or cleansing and make the product more "soft" in perception, although they themselves almost do not change the texture of the formula. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)