Potent Skincare Ingredients: How to Improve Your Routine

We all understand the significance of a healthy skincare routine. An effective multi-step program is essential for maintaining healthy, beautiful skin, as it cleanses and preps your skin for the day and washes it away before bed. 

But, to get the most out of your cleansers, creams, and everything in between, choose products with ingredients that are best suited to your skin type, issues, and goals. Therefore, regardless of the combination of skincare basics you choose, it's crucial to focus on the active ingredients.

What are active ingredients in skincare? 

The term 'active ingredients' refers to compounds that interact with processes or structures within the skin to address specific skincare concerns, such as ageing or dryness. In contrast, inactive chemicals, such as scents or preservatives, do not directly give skincare benefits but do contribute to the entire product. 

Although the active ingredients to seek will vary depending on your unique skincare needs, some stand out for their skin-boosting advantages, such as increasing moisture in the skin and removing blemishes; let's look at which to look for and why.

The best ingredients to use in your skincare routine

Hydration

Emollients like squalane, which help to preserve the skin barrier and stop moisture loss, should be used with humectants (hydrating chemicals) like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which draw moisture to the skin, for immediate hydration.

Anti-Ageing

Plant-based bakuchiol can be less irritating, making it an excellent choice for sensitive skin. Retinoids, like retinol, function by increasing cell turnover and stimulating collagen formation, helping to renew the skin and minimise the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Look for peptides that stimulate cell activity and increase collagen and elastin in the skin if you want to improve the firmness and texture of your skin.

Brightening And Clearing

Consider using chemical exfoliants for clearing your skin. While BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids) like salicylic acid work deeper into the skin to unclog pores, increase cell turnover, and regulate oil production, AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids) like glycollic acid work on the skin's surface to help slough away dead skin cells and even skin tone and texture. 

Vitamin C helps to lighten the face and minimise hyperpigmentation for a brighter, radiant complexion, while retinoids like retinol can also be helpful in preventing clogged pores and erasing dark spots and scars.

How to combine skincare products for optimal effects

To ensure that the ingredients penetrate the skin efficiently, products should be applied from thinnest to thickest consistency, allowing them to be properly absorbed by the skin, with water-based products being applied first, followed by heavier, oil-based formulations.

When layering products, consider the active ingredients. Skin-soothing agents, including peptides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide, can be used alongside more irritating actives such as retinol, AHAs, and BHAs. This practice helps to reduce unwanted effects like redness and sensitivity, allowing persons with sensitive skin to tolerate these potent substances and get their benefits.

Avoid these common skincare ingredient blunders.

Understanding your skin type and choosing formulations based on its requirements is critical for accomplishing your skincare goals, whether it's avoiding comedogenic chemicals if you have oily skin or approaching irritating actives with caution if you're prone to sensitivity.

It's also important to consider the potency of some ingredients and their long-term effects on the skin; retinoids, AHAs, and BHAs can cause irritation and dryness when used together, as well as increase your sensitivity to other ingredients, especially at high concentrations. To reduce this danger, start using these products individually, starting with low concentrations and gradually increasing strength as your skin's tolerance improves.

These irritating actives can also promote photosensitivity (an increased sensitivity to sunlight); hence, SPF is essential for protecting the skin and reducing the negative effects of sun exposure.