Actives
Active Ingredients in Skincare
Actives ingredients in skincare are used to target skin concerns with effectiveness that can be backed up by science. Products containing active ingredients can actually change the structure and function of your skin, not just temporarily change its appearance.
Active ingredients in skincare are:
Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs)
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
Vitamin C
Retinoids
Some actives are also pH dependent meaning they require formulations at certain pH levels to be effective for your skin. You can learn best practices on layering pH dependent skincare products in this post.
Active ingredients aren't for beginners and should be added to your routine slowly only after your skin has adjusted to your base cleansers and moisturizers. They combat things like fine lines, hyperpigmentation, acne, dullness, sun damage and free radicals while boosting radiance and sometimes collagen production.
Side note: products with active ingredients are the only ones that cause purging (breakouts when introducing a new product to your routine), so if a product is making you breakout that doesn't contain actives, it's not right for your skin and you should ditch it (you can read more on that in the purging vs. bad reactions post).
In order to get the most out of your actives, you can apply them right after cleansing cleansing, as close to your skin as possible so that any hydrating/moisturizing steps won’t block the actives ability to reach your skin. However, if you have sensitive skin or are just starting out with actives, using a hydrating or moisturizing step as a buffer is a great option!
Beta Hydroxy Acids
Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) are oil-soluble chemical exfoliants that prevent oil and sebum from building up by penetrating past our skin’s natural oils and exfoliating the dead skin cells that sit inside our pores. Since oil and sebum contribute to acne, blackheads and sebaceous filaments, BHAs are great for anyone trying to combat these issues. When they get down into your pores, they help to surface any impurities which is why a purging period is typical when introducing a BHA to your routine. Due to their oil solubility, BHAs are known to be very drying and best for those who have oily skin types. They don’t cause increased UV sensitivity so BHAs are safe to use morning and/or night.
There’s really only one type of BHA and that’s salicylic acid.
Salicylic Acid Recommendations: COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid, Stridex Maximum Strength Pads
Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) are water-soluble chemical exfoliants that exfoliate the top layers of the skin by dissolving the bonds that hold dead skin cells together, revealing the smooth, glowing skin underneath. Because AHAs aren't oil soluble like BHAs, they don't penetrate into your pores and won't dry you out. In fact, AHAs have humectant properties and are commonly recommended for those with dry skin or those who want to plump fine lines and combat signs of aging. By slowly exfoliating away the top layer of skin, AHAs help fade hyperpigmentation over time and fight those stubborn closed comedones that look like little bumps on the skin. Because the top layer of your skin is being exfoliated away, you become far more sensitive to the sun when you have AHAs in your routine so a daily SPF is a must whether you choose to apply them at morning or night.
The three most common types of AHAs are glycolic acid, lactic acid, and mandelic acid. Glycolic acid has the lowest molecular weight, meaning it penetrates into your skin the easiest and is the most powerful/irritating. Mandelic acid has the highest molecular weight and is the most gentle because doesn’t penetrate your skin as effectively as glycolic or lactic acid.
Glycolic Acid Recommendations: COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel, Mizon AHA 8% Peeling Serum, Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, Pixi Glow Tonic Beauty Elixer
Lactic Acid Recommendations: The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2%, The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%, Sunday Riley Good Genes, Silk Naturals 8% AHA Toner, Biologique Recherche Lotion P50
Mandelic Acid Recommendations: Stratia Soft Touch AHA, The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects your skin from UV and environmental damage by fighting free radicals (bad atoms that steal electrons from our skin cells and cause damage through a process called oxidation). Free radicals can do some pretty awful things to our skin like decrease collagen production which causes fine lines, wrinkles and premature aging. Vitamin C comes in with its antioxidant properties and stops the free radicals from creating chaos for our skin. One of the best parts about Vitamin C is that it helps prevent photodamage, caused by UV light, through neutralizing the free radicals that radiate into your skin through sunlight. This is why it's best to apply vitamin C in the mornings so it can work alongside your SPF. And not only does it boost protection from UV rays, but it also helps eliminate hyper-pigmentation (dark spots on the skin) caused by UV damage. Hyperpigmentation occurs when your skin starts to produce an excess of melanin (the brown pigment that gives skin its color), and vitamin C is great at inhibiting melanin production.
If you want to get the most out of your vitamin C, look for products that contain it in its most pure, active form, ascorbic acid. Due to how notoriously unstable ascorbic acid is to formulate and it’s short shelf life, many derivatives of vitamin C have been created that don’t have those issues. Unfortunately, our skin first has to convert these derivatives into ascorbic acid in order to make use of them so they aren’t as effective as the real thing but are still good alternatives for anyone wanting to introduce a vitamin C into their routine.
Ascorbic acid recommendations: Maelove The Glow Maker, Melano CC Intensive Anti-Spot Essence, Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster, Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, SkinCeuticals® C E Ferulic, Timeless C+E+Ferulic Acid Serum, COSRX Triple C Lightening Liquid
Retinoids
Retinoids are the biggest players in the game when it comes to anti-aging. They help shed your dead skin cells and decrease hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles while also being anti-inflammatory and battling acne. But the best part about retinoids is that they have cell-communicating properties - this means they tell our skin cells how to function properly and behave like better, younger cells. This communication stimulates collagen (a protein that sustains the structure of the skin) production which causes gradual plumping, firming and thickening of our skin that all decrease with age. Retinoids should only be used at night because they break down in light and cause major UV sensitivity so a daily SPF is critical if retinoids are part of your skincare routine. There are a lot of over the counter retinoid options but there are major FDA limits on their concentration in these formulas so if you want to see the stronger effects of retinoids then you should talk to your dermatologist about a prescription or try Curology.com