The Biological Impact of Common Skincare Ingredients

OUMERE Laboratories conducted a series of independent studies on human skin specimens to examine how prevalent skincare ingredients affect skin health. The findings reveal why so many products—regardless of price or marketing—produce identical outcomes: they share the same industrially sourced ingredients that compromise cellular integrity.

More than 99% of skincare products are manufactured in shared facilities, differing primarily in branding and packaging. Despite claims of innovation, most brands use identical formulations built on the same biologically disruptive ingredients.

The Problem: Industry Uniformity and Lack of Biological Insight

The majority of skincare information available online and in consumer media is derivative—recycled marketing disguised as science. Few brands perform primary biological research to validate their claims. OUMERE’s research sought to uncover the truth behind persistent skin issues such as acne, inflammation, and premature aging by analyzing ingredient-level effects in controlled laboratory environments.

Findings: Ingredients That Damage Cellular and Structural Integrity

1. Alcohol

Function: Solvent and preservative.
Observed effect: Disrupts the stratum corneum, causes dehydration, and triggers compensatory oil production. Chronic use leads to inflammation and lipid barrier breakdown.

Dermatitis (2003) reported alcohol-based formulations significantly impair the skin’s barrier function and increase irritation.

2. Fragrance (Including Essential Oils and Extracts)

Function: Sensory enhancement for consumer appeal.
Observed effect: Cytotoxicity, barrier disruption, and allergic reactions. Fragrance compounds—especially terpenes and aldehydes—induce oxidative stress and microinflammation even at low concentrations.

Contact Dermatitis (2014) found fragrances to be among the top causes of cosmetic-induced allergic reactions.

3. Glycolic Acid

Function: Chemical exfoliant used to accelerate turnover.
Observed effect: Overexfoliation and transepidermal water loss. Glycolic acid’s small molecular size allows rapid penetration that overwhelms the barrier, leading to sensitization and photoreactivity.

A 2016 study in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology confirmed glycolic acid increases water loss and sensitivity, validating its role as a common irritant.

4. Benzoyl Peroxide

Function: Antibacterial oxidizing agent.
Observed effect: Induces oxidative stress, destroys keratinocytes, and weakens long-term resilience. Its short-term antibacterial effect is outweighed by chronic cellular damage.

Journal of Dermatological Science (2018) demonstrated benzoyl peroxide generates reactive oxygen species that reduce the skin’s capacity to recover from environmental stress.

Experimental Observations

When skin samples were exposed to alcohol, fragrance, glycolic acid, or benzoyl peroxide, microscopy revealed deterioration of the plasma membrane, depletion of extracellular matrix proteins, and loss of structural cohesion—effects consistent with chronic irritation and accelerated aging.

Formulations excluding these ingredients maintained intact lipid barriers and demonstrated reduced inflammatory markers. This outcome led to the development of OUMERE’s No. 9 Daily Chemical Exfoliant.

No. 9: The Biological Alternative

No. 9 was formulated using polyhydroxy acids (PHAs)—molecules larger than glycolic acid that exfoliate gradually and maintain moisture equilibrium. This slower mechanism supports barrier restoration and cellular renewal without triggering sensitization or inflammation.

Unlike benzoyl peroxide, which kills bacteria by oxidizing skin cells, No. 9 restores the skin’s natural acidic pH, enabling it to regulate its own microbiome and resist pathogenic overgrowth. The result is clear, resilient skin achieved through biological alignment, not destruction.

Conclusions

OUMERE’s findings demonstrate that several ingredients central to mainstream formulations—alcohol, fragrance, glycolic acid, and benzoyl peroxide—induce measurable biological damage. Their continued use perpetuates the cycle of irritation, inflammation, and dependency that defines much of modern skincare. Long-term skin health requires rejecting these compounds in favor of pH-balanced, anti-inflammatory, and barrier-supportive formulations.