Judging from the ingredient list, "RITUALS - The Ritual of Ayurveda Kitchen Hand Balm" works well for improving skin hydration As we expect from a proper moisturizer, the formula includes a combo of effective humectants and emollients. These are the two different types of ingredients that are essential for improving the skin hydration and supporting a healthy skin barrier. Panthenol and glycerin in this product (humectants) attract water molecules to the upper layer of the skin (the water comes from the outside air or from the deeper layers of the skin if the air is dry). Emollients in this formulation (butyrospermum parkii butter, dimethicone, cetearyl alcohol, cyclopentasiloxane and cyclohexasiloxane) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.
Ingredient callouts
This formulation also includes panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) at about 1.20% - 1.40% concentration. In this concentration, panthenol works effectively to improve the skin barrier and reduce inflammation.
Irritation risk
This moisturizer contains a bunch of common irritants, including ingredients that do not provide any known benefit for the skin. It might not be the best choice if your skin is sensitive. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Price
The product retails for 143.76A$ in Australia, for 14.50$ in the United States and for 18.32£ in the United Kingdom.
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”: these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses
moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels
less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
butyrospermum parkii butter, dimethicone.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with
the hydration level: panthenol
A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish
Used to add a nice rose smell to the product. Might help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and have some anti-oxidant effect. Can be irritating
Typically used to stabilize the product formulations. It is a salt of a polyhydroxy acid (PHA) and in larger concentrations, can help shed the dead cells from the skin surface revealing smoother skin. It can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin. Might to be helpful against acne and clogged pores. Could be helpful in neutralizing free radicals, but solid research is missing. Due to the zinc content, might help calm down inflammation in skin
Used to add a nice rose smell to the product. Might help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and have some anti-oxidant effect. Can be irritating
