ASCP Esty Talk - Episode 316: The Rogue Pharmacist: Understanding Active Ingredients

Release Date: April 11, 2025
Host: Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP)
Guest: Benjamin Knife Fuchs, Pharmacist and Skincare Formulator

Introduction

In Episode 316 of ASCP Esty Talk, titled "The Rogue Pharmacist: Understanding Active Ingredients," host Maggie Stasik engages in a comprehensive discussion with Benjamin Knife Fuchs, a pharmacist and skincare formulator. The episode delves deep into the intricacies of active ingredients in skincare, aiming to equip estheticians with the knowledge to make informed decisions for their clients.

Defining Active Ingredients

Time Stamp: [01:30]

Maggie opens the conversation by highlighting the pivotal role of active ingredients in skincare and the challenges estheticians face in navigating them. Benjamin Fuchs responds by unpacking the meaning of "active" in the context of skincare.

• Active vs. Inactive:
  "Active means something's happening," Fuchs explains, emphasizing that activity can either make things happen or prevent things from happening on the skin.

• Categories of Active Ingredients:

  1. Stimulating Activity: Involves ingredients that trigger cellular processes, such as collagen production or cellular regeneration. Fuchs cautions that truly stimulating activity borders on pharmaceutical effects, which is why some skincare brands tread carefully to imply efficacy without crossing into drug territory.

  2. Suppressing/Inhibiting Activity: Easier to achieve, these ingredients calm the skin or protect it from external stressors. Examples include aloe vera and green tea extract.

Biologic Response Modifiers (BRMs) vs. Tactile Ingredients

Time Stamp: [04:00]

Fuchs distinguishes between two types of ingredients:

• Biologic Response Modifiers (BRMs):
  These actively change the biology of the skin cells. "BRMs are things that change biology," Fuchs states, categorizing essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals as primary BRMs.

• Tactile Ingredients:
  Ingredients that provide a sensory experience without biological activity. "The classic example is moisturizers," Fuchs notes, explaining that while moisturizers make the skin feel hydrated, they don't necessarily engage in cellular activity.

Essential Nutrients as the Cornerstone of Active Skincare

Time Stamp: [07:30]

Fuchs passionately underscores the importance of essential nutrients in skincare:

• Definition of Essential Nutrients:
  "Essential nutrients are minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins that the body cannot synthesize and must be obtained externally."

• Key Vitamins:

  • Vitamin C and Vitamin A: Highlighted as the most critical active ingredients for anti-aging and skin health. Fuchs passionately recommends them, stating, "If you're stranded on a desert island and you can only bring two ingredients for your skin, vitamin C and vitamin A."

  • Niacin (Vitamin B3) and Vitamin D: Also discussed for their significant roles, though slightly less pivotal than vitamins C and A.

• Mechanism of Action:
  These vitamins interact directly with skin cells, promoting processes like collagen synthesis and cellular repair, thereby enhancing skin health from within.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Their Impact

Time Stamp: [11:00]

The conversation shifts to Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), a class of ingredients that revolutionized skincare:

• Historical Significance:
  "Before alpha hydroxy acids, skincare was really in the stone ages," Fuchs remarks, highlighting how AHAs paved the way for modern esthetics by allowing indirect cellular activity without crossing into pharmaceutical claims.

• Mechanism:
  AHAs work by disrupting the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of skin, thereby signaling the underlying cells to initiate repair and regeneration. This process mimics wound healing, leading to increased collagen and elastin production.

• Regulatory Advantage:
  By inducing cellular activity indirectly, AHAs occupy a "gray area" that allows them to be marketed as cosmetics rather than drugs, circumventing strict FDA regulations tied to active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Growth Factors and Peptides: The Next Frontier

Time Stamp: [14:00]

Fuchs touches upon the emerging roles of growth factors and peptides in skincare:

• Development and Challenges:
  Stemming from advancements like the Human Genome Project, these ingredients are designed to signal cells to perform specific functions. However, "they don't penetrate through the skin very effectively," Fuchs points out, limiting their efficacy unless the skin barrier is compromised or pre-treated with other agents.

• Cell Health Dependency:
  Effective only when skin cells are healthy, these ingredients can be counterproductive on compromised skin. "If a cell is not healthy and you try to use peptides and growth factors, either you're not gonna get a lot of benefit or they can actually be counterproductive."

• Classification:
  Fuchs categorizes them as secondary active ingredients, asserting that while they have their place, the primary focus should remain on essential nutrients to maintain cellular health.

The Primacy of Nutrition in Skincare

Time Stamp: [17:00]

In concluding the discussion, Fuchs reiterates the foundational role of nutrition in both internal and external skincare:

• Topical vs. Internal Nutrition:
  "Internal nutrition is always going to be important," Fuchs affirms, drawing parallels between nourishing the body's organs and enriching the skin with essential nutrients.

• Delivery Mechanisms:
  Emphasizes the importance of not just having active ingredients but also ensuring their effective delivery to the skin cells, noting that "the stratum corneum is a barrier" that requires strategic formulation to overcome.

• Final Takeaway:
  For estheticians aiming to maximize the efficacy of their treatments, focusing on essential nutrients and understanding their roles at the cellular level is paramount.

Notable Quotes

• On Essential Nutrients:
  "If you're stranded on a desert island and you can only bring two ingredients for your skin, vitamin C and vitamin A."
  — Benjamin Knife Fuchs [07:30]

• On Active Ingredients Classification:
  "True active ingredients are ingredients that will stimulate cells to do things, make collagen, for example, divide, for example, secrete various growth factors, for example."
  — Benjamin Knife Fuchs [05:10]

• On Growth Factors and Peptides:
  "If a cell is not healthy and you try to use peptides and growth factors, either you're not gonna get a lot of benefit or they can actually be counterproductive."
  — Benjamin Knife Fuchs [16:50]

Conclusion

Episode 316 of ASCP Esty Talk provides estheticians with a nuanced understanding of active ingredients in skincare. Through Benjamin Knife Fuchs' expert insights, listeners gain clarity on distinguishing between different types of active ingredients, the paramount importance of essential nutrients, and the evolving roles of ingredients like AHAs, growth factors, and peptides. The episode serves as a valuable resource for skincare professionals striving to enhance their practice with scientifically-backed formulations.

For more information or to connect with Benjamin Knife Fuchs, visit truthtreatmentspro.com.