DEFINING BEAUTY: Hair & Skin Glossary Terms & Definitions ‘W’

Skin & Hair Glossary of ingredients & terms. Defining what skin & hair ingredients are and how to best use them. Updated regularly.

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W

Wakame

Wakame is a Japanese seaweed used in skin products. This highly nutritious seaweed is found in Miso soup.  Topically, it reduces wrinkles and hydrates skin.  Rich in minerals and vitamins, it maintains skin firmness and elasticity.

Walnut oil contains omega-3s

Walnut Oil

Walnut Oil promotes scalp health, dandruff, highlighting blondes, adds shine. It soothes skin infections, eczema, and psoriasis. Walnut oil contains Omega-3s to prevent cell damage. It also is rich in Potassium which helps regenerate hair and skin cells. Walnut Oil is an intensive conditioner for hair, restoring a lustrous shine and softness.

Water

Water on an ingredient list refers to purified water used as a solvent to help active ingredients absorb. Concentrated ingredients intended to be used as an additive typically contain less water.

Watercress

A groundbreaking skincare study showed Watercress uniquely promotes Collagen III in the dermal cells of the papillary dermis skin layer. [1] This makes skin smoother, resilient, youthful, and elastic. Watercress is also an antioxidant full Vitamins A, C, E, K, and notably, Copper. [2] Copper has an amazing ability to restore elastin in the skin. Elastin gives skin its’ youthful bounce and the ability to spring back. The Vitamin K in Watercress can reduce brown and blue-tinged under eye dark circles caused by leaking capillaries. Watercress also contains Vitamins A and C to fight free radicals.

Watermelon Seed Oil

Watermelon

Watermelon Seed Oil is an outstanding antioxidant and highly nutritive oil. It is high in unsaturated fatty acids, such as by linoleic and oleic acids. It has antioxidant activity and the vitamin E compounds that protect the skin from oxidative stress and photo-aging. Vitamin E gives Watermelon Seed Oil anti-inflammatory properties, which soothes irritated skin. It also contains essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals to enrich lip skin.  It is A moisturizing “dry oil” that absorbs quickly and is high in Linoleic acid to restore imbalanced skin.

Wheat Protein, Wheat Amino Acids

Wheat Protein strengthens hair and adds moisture. Wheat Amino Acids have greater ability to penetrate the hair.

Wheat

White Clay

White Clay is Kaolin. White clay is a mild exfoliant that unclogs pores. Suitable for all skin types, it is ideal for mature skin. White Clay clarifies and refines skin while reducing pore size.

White Tea

White tea is gentle yet powerful. It has similar benefits to Green Tea with phenols and EGCG. As a topical ingredient, it helps even the skin tone. It is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It can reduce redness and inflammation around the delicate eye area, even if caused by light eczema. White tea also contains EGCG, which enables the production of new cells in the epidermis [3]. It also contains phenols that strengthen collagen and uniquely, elastin. This gives skin a bouncy, younger look while delaying wrinkles.

White Willow

White Willow unclogs pores, reduces redness and regulates sebum production.

Willow Herb Plant Extract

Willow Herb Plant Extract is a plant extract that is an excellent antioxidant for soothing skin conditions including eczema.[4]

Wild Yam

Wild Yam Extract is an anti-inflammatory that reduces dark spots. It promotes collagen production and skin radiance. Saponins are believed to enhance skin restoration on a DNA level within the skin cells. [5] Diosgenin reduces the spots that can arise from sun damage.[6]

Wine Bath

A Wine Bath is a bath in only organic, chemical and pesticide-free wine. Part of a spa treatment for nourishment and restoration of the skin barrier, of French origin. If the skin barrier has been excessively damaged by burns or chemotherapy, the grape extracts gently rebuilds the skin.  See Vinotherapy.

Witch Hazel is a natural toner

Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel is derived from witch hazel shrub bark. It is a natural plant-derived astringent that tones and cleanses. It calms irritation. It tightens pores and removes impurities.

 

 

 

 

 

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REFERENCES

1. “Shiseido Succeeds in Visualization of Internal Skin Elasticity – Decrease of Type III Collagen Involved in Age-Dependent Degradation in Skin Elasticity.” Shiseido, Shiseido, Apr. 2018, corp.shiseido.com/en/newsimg/2423_c3b40_en.pdf.
2. Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, July 2001, pages 392–399
3. Journal of Pharmacol Exp Ther 2003 306: 29-34
4. Phytotherapy Research, July 2018, pages 1,220-1,240
5. Yayoi Tada, Naoko Kanda, Akinori Haratake, Megumi Tobiishi, Hideyo Uchiwa, Shinichi Watanabe, Novel effects of diosgenin on skin aging, Steroids, Volume 74, Issue 6, 2009, Pages 504-511, ISSN 0039-128X
6. Lee J, Jung K, Kim YS, Park D. Diosgenin inhibits melanogenesis through the activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase pathway (PI3K) signaling. Life Sciences. 2007 Jun;81(3):249-254. DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2007.05.009.