АКТИВНЫЕ ИНГРИДИЕНТЫ

It can be utterly daunting to shop for skincare products. Retinoids, acids, serums, creams, clean beauty, the things you shouldn't be using - where on earth do you start? How to prioritize the right ingredients for your skin? What ingredients are essential? We have highlighted 6 key Actives, which alone can help to build a solid skincare routine for ANY skin type and ANY skin problem.

Less is often more when it comes to skincare. How can you build a reliable routine without an intimate understanding of what ingredients are in your skincare products, how they work, how they benefit your skin, and how they interact with each other? So, buckle up and dive in!


RETINOIDS - YOUR SKINCARE HERO

Retinoids are a category of skincare ingredients derived from vitamin A. Words like ‘powerhouse’ and ‘superstar’ abound because they influence so many aspects of skin function. They are the mainstay of acne treatment and they’re the most effective anti-agers we have - and they help with pigmentation, unclog pores and stimulate collagen production too. What’s not to like?


AZELAIC ACID - THE MULTI-TASKING WIZARD

It reduces inflammation in the skin by its effect on the activity of Toll-like receptors, which sense our environment for danger, helping activate our skin’s defenses. In redness-prone skin these sensors are turned up too high and azelaic acid helps bring them back under control. It also acts as an anti-bacterial and reduces the tendency for our skin cells to clog up our pores, so these actions together combine to make it very helpful in acne.

As if that wasn’t enough it also inhibits the action of tyrosinase, reducing the tendency for our skin to develop pigmentation. This means it’s helpful in post-acne marks, sun spots, and melasma. It’s the ultimate multi-tasker.
It can be used daily, up to twice a day. It can reduce skin sensitivity over time, so I’ll often find it easier to add in other ingredients after doing this in those with more sensitive skin.


NIACINAMIDE - THE GENTLE GIANT

Niacinamide is one of the most sociable actives as it plays so well with others. It’s also easy to formulate, so it can be added to serums, moisturizers, and even sunscreen.

It has 2 helpful actions when it comes to combining with retinoids - it boosts ceramide production, an essential component of the epidermis’ bricks and mortar structure, which makes skin more robust and tolerant of irritants. It also has an anti-inflammatory action, which helps minimize the impact of starting retinoids, which can trigger the release of inflammatory mediators in the skin. And it helps boost collagen and suppress hyperpigmentation. In short - it’s amazing.


BAKUCHIOL - THE NEWBIE

Bakuchiol is hailed as a plant-derived ‘natural’ alternative to retinol and it’s appearing in a lot of new launches. Understandably, it has us quite excited. Is Bakuchiol as good as retinol?

When used twice a day, 0.5% Bakuchiol was as effective as 0.5% retinol used nightly in women with photo-ageing in their late 40s - they both improved wrinkles and hyperpigmentation to a similar extent.

In addition, the retinol users experienced more stinging and scaling than those who used Bakuchiol so it seems tolerability may well be better. And, it doesn’t break down in UV nor does it photosensitize, another advantage over retinoids meaning it can be used alongside them in your morning routine.
And again, like retinoids, it seems to tackle multiple points in the acne pathway, hence it will help both treat active blemishes, prevent new ones and reduce the dark marks left in their wake.


SALICYLIC ACID - DEPENDABLE STAPLE

Salicylic acid is a major player when it comes to treating breakouts and blackheads. Also known as the ultra-popular beta hydroxy acid has been around for years.
With both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, it also works as a chemical exfoliant to remove dead skin cells. One of its key advantages is that it’s oil-soluble, meaning it can penetrate the oily pore. This makes it more useful than AHAs (such as glycolic or lactic acid) in the treatment of breakouts, which are water-soluble and don’t readily penetrate our pores.


VITAMIN C - STAR PERFORMER

It’s one of the star performers when it comes to building an impactful strategy against environmental insults. Dietary vitamin C is excellent for your general health but you’ll find that it has even greater influence over skin health if you apply it topically too.

It’s a powerful antioxidant for ageing prevention. It’s protective against sunburn. It stimulates increased collagen production. On top of that Vitamin C is generally well-tolerated and as a bonus it’s suitable for pregnancy and lactation.


BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

And of course, to sit alongside your carefully chosen actives, you’ll need a non-clogging skincare foundation of cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. Remember, SPF is vital - choosing the right one is key as so many acne sufferers skip this as they’re nervous of breaking out but it’s THE most important anti-ageing tool in your arsenal.

In the end, putting together an effective regime isn’t difficult when you’re armed with knowledge about what ingredients work well on both concerns - and the great news is they all play well together.

Actives is a nickname for Active Ingredients, the cornerstone blocks to build a skincare routine to address your specific skin problems while taking into consideration your skin type and medication tolerance.

AZELAIC ACID

NIACINAMIDE - VITAMIN B3

BAKUCHIOL

RETINOIDS - VITAMIN A

ASCORBIC ACID - VITAMIN C

SALICYLIC ACD - BHA