No product ever explains the ingredients and why they are in the lotion, cream, or anything else you may be putting either on your face or other part of your body.

Many people prefer to skip on manufactured products and go straight to organic materials. While this can be a good idea, especially if you know what organic materials work well with your skin type, others may not always have that option.

In that case, it is best to figure out what companies are putting into their products before you take it from the tube or bottle and spread it over your skin.

Here you can find out what some of the ingredients are used for. Once you realize that they do have a purpose other than to make your cream a certain color, you may feel a little better about using certain items.

5% Benzoyl peroxide: Acts as an acne medication.

2% Salicylic acid: Also an acne medication.

Acrylates copolymer: An effective oil absorbing polymer. It can absorb up to 10 times its weight in oil.

Allantoin: Used to condition and smooth your skin.

Beeswax: Naturally occurring wax from the honeycomb of bees. It acts as an emulsifier and imparts a soft, conditioned feeling to your skin.

Bentonite: A natural clay that gently exfoliates dull surface skin cells and draws out impurities.

Cetyl ricinoleate: Holds and binds moisture to your skins surface.

Cyclomethicone: An emollient that conditions your skin without leaving it oily.

Farnesol: Helps tone and smooth tired and stressed skin.

Glycereth 26: A humectant used to bind moisture to the skin.

Hybrid safflower oil: A natural oil which provides emolliency and seals in moisture.

Hydrogenated soy glyceride: A naturally derived emollient blend that acts as a moisturizer and conditioner for your skin.

Hydrolyzed wheat protein: A protein that acts to smooth the skin by attracting moisture. It also conditions your skin and helps relieve dryness.

Lemon and cucumber extract: Used to help even out your skin tone.

Mineral oil: Another emollient that helps reduce moisture loss in your skin.

Nylon 12: Acts as an oil absorber.

Panthenol: A conditioner that imparts smoothness to your skin.

Petrolatum: This is yet another emollient that functions as a protective shield on your skins surface to help reduce moisture loss.

Polyethylene: This comes in the form of beads for gentle skin exfoliation.

Propylene glycol: Another humectant used to help reduce moisture loss and condition your skin.

Silica: Absorbs excess oil on your skin.

Sodium hyaluronate: A non oily moisturizer appropriate for all skin types.

Titanium dioxide: A physical sun screening agent which helps to prevent skin damage and sunburn.

Tocopheryl acetate: A vitamin E derivative that acts as a free radical scavenger.

Willow bark: A botanical extract with astringent properties.

Yarrow and meadowsweet extracts: Two more botanical extracts that are used to help freshen skin.

Sometimes certain ingredients will not work for your skin. For example, some people with oily skin would avoid emollients because they would only enhance the oiliness of the skin, whereas the opposite effect would be desired.

You should be aware of your skin type and what sort of products work best on it to provide maximum results of softness, smoothness, and impart an overall healthy look.

For best results, you can contact your dermatologist in order to find out which ingredients would work best with your skin and which ones to avoid. Asking your dermatologist may even lead to a few helpful tips on which kinds of products to buy.