Your skin is your largest organ and a pretty miraculous one at that. It's in a constant state of battle, protecting your inside from the outside world and everything it has to throw at you. Not only does it have to contend with the vast array of particulate matter thrown up from exhausts and industry but it also has to deal with a steady bombardment of UV rays all year round. It fights your corner as best it can through clammy hot days in summer through to icy cold ones in winter.
Whilst fighting this ongoing battle your skin tries to keep you as comfortable as possible by maintaining an equilibrium - and that can be difficult.
Most individuals report skin sensitivity as the leading issue when it comes to their skin. And why wouldn’t you? How you feel is the most obvious measure of your skin’s “happiness”.
Most of the time, irritation symptoms include redness, tingling, tightness, but they may also include burning and stinging sensations. The reality is that these sensations are largely symptoms of damage.
Research shows UV can really agitate the skin regardless of skin type. That’s why we’re so passionate at LifeJacket about dealing with the leading cause of your skin’s woes: UV rays when you're outside or in the sun.
At the same time we do think those “out of the sun”, indoors moments are the ideal opportunity to repair damage and help your skin return to its equilibrium. So in this journal I wanted to focus on a novel ingredient we use in our Daily Repair Moisturiser. This ingredient is clinically proven to provide relief from stinging and burning but it also works to reduce skin intolerance to everything your skin is exposed to as part of modern life.
Our chosen ingredient: 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol
4-t-Butylcyclohexanol is a proven soothing active ingredient.
It's a natural compound that soothes the skin and provides relief from stinging and redness caused predominantly by UV exposure. It does this by modulating the neurosensory chain reaction at the source of stinging and burning sensations. Burning and stinging sensations are the results of an overexpression of receptors found in the nervous system.
4-t-Butylcyclohexanol selectively targets these specific receptors and changes their response to irritation, which, in turn, aims to reset the balance of the skin.
Here's the statistical proof...
If you're really interested in the data that supported our decision to include this particular ingredient technology, then here it is...
In a study, 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol was clinically proven to reduce stinging and burning sensations by 80%. During that study, 20 people who were all sensitive to capsaicin (a known sensitizer) were treated with (1) capsaicin on its own and (2) capsaicin with 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol. This was over a two day period.
The two products were applied at the nasolabial fold (also know as the laugh or smile lines on your face) and participants were asked to score their reaction:
0 = no perception of stinging or burning
1 = doubtful, barely perceptible
2 = slightly perceptible
3 = moderately perceptible.
In the chart below, the grey bars indicate the product without the 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol ingredient and the blue bars indicate the same product with the 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol ingredient.
* = p < 0.001 (significance level), ** = p < 0.01 (significance level), *** = p < 0.05 (significance level)
As you can see, the addition of 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol had a marked improvement on the participants' response to stinging and burning sensation.
Summary
Ingredient technology is really important to us. We look at clinical studies and data to assess what should go into our skincare formulations and what we believe will do a job for you. There's a lot of noise and hearsay out there. We always fall back on science and the best facts available at the time.
4-t-Butylcyclohexanol is just one of many ingredients we use to help us achieve our ambition of delivering high performance formulations that help your skin. We’re always innovating and improving but you can be 100% reassured that all of our products are toxicologically and dermatologically tested, so you know your skin is in safe hands.
