Active—or performance—ingredients get all the credit because they promote visible changes in the skin, but inactive—or functional—ingredients make all the difference when it comes to external aging.
Active = Performance
You see “active ingredients” written on prescription treatments, sunscreen, and other skin products that penetrate beyond the skin barrier. You don’t see these drug facts on skincare labels because skincare is not a drug; however, it does contain performance ingredients, the scientific term for active ingredients. Pour Moi’s climate smart skincare line is based on the scientifically validated understanding that skincare should be rotated when seasons or climates change. So what is different in the four Day Creams? The answer is not what you’d think—it’s the functional ingredients (a.k.a. the inactive ingredients) that are customized to change in each of the climate-specific Day Creams.How do performance ingredients behave in different climates?
You have to understand that performance ingredients stay mostly the same even when the climate changes. Key components in the Pour Moi formulations—such as Hyaluronic Acid, White Truffle Acid, and other moisturizing agents—are constantly present with slight variations. What makes Pour Moi performance ingredients different is the way they’re formulated in the Réponse du Climat® Collection. Hyaluronic Acid behaves radically different in climates with varying temperature and humidity levels because it will either effectively hydrate the skin or severely dehydrate skin depending on the climate. In the Pour Moi Réponse du Climat® blend, three molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid prevent dehydration in climates with low moisture levels, and rare forms of White Truffle Acid balance the amount of moisture drawn from the atmosphere into the skin. These two climate smart powerhouses in combination with various moisturizing agents hydrate skin effectively to match the moisture needs of the atmospheric conditions.Inactive = Functional
Don’t let the word “inactive” scare you. Functional ingredients compose the unique base of skincare that transports the performance ingredients to the skin’s deep layers. Without the functional ingredients, the skin-impacting performance ingredients couldn’t reach their destination to do their jobs. With the majority of skincare—around 90%—made of water and oils, functional ingredients are unfairly in the shadows of performance ingredients. The quality of water and the selectiveness of oils play a huge role in the effectiveness of the skincare’s ability to retain hydration and heal the skin barrier. This is one of Pour Moi’s areas of expertise—manufacturing in France secures some of the world’s purest water, and formulating the Day Creams with climate-specific humectants, emollients, and occlusives guarantees best results. [Keep reading: Are There More Than Four Seasons?]
How do functional ingredients behave in different climates?
Functional ingredients make up the base of skincare where most of Pour Moi’s climate smart ingredients are customized per the individual climates. These functional ingredients are responsible for delivering the approximate 10% of hydrating, anti-aging, and nourishing ingredients in skincare. The other approximate 90% carries these ingredients in the form of water and specific oils depending on the climate.
Many people think that oil and water don’t mix, but they do—it’s called skincare. Water makes up the vast majority of skincare, which is why Pour Moi is formulated with high-quality European aqua. The other liquid functional ingredients include Coconut Oil, Squalene Oil, and Shea Butter because their moisturizing functions vary in specific climates.