What a difference chemical structure makes!

By Dr. Hannah Sivak | February 13, 2024

“Small” differences in chemical structure make a world of difference in the behavior of the chemical and its effect on your skin.

Here, we have a few examples illustrating different aspects of chemical structure and how they are used in skin care products.

Azelaic Acid and Azeloyl Glycine. Adding an amino acid makes a world of difference in solubility and effect on the skin, azeloyl glycine is soluble in water-based serums and creams.

Retinol is an alcohol, and retinyl acetate is an ester; both are retinoids, forms of Vitamin A. The skin can convert one into the other, but they differ in their stability, making retinyl acetate the ingredient of choice when looking for a retinoid to formulate in skin care.

Alpha Arbutin and Beta Arbutin are examples of stereoisomerism, which is how the atoms’ arrangements in space change a molecule’s properties. Bearberry makes beta-arbutin, a skin lightening ingredient. Alpha arbutin is synthetic. Read more about them in other blog posts (see below).