With beauty products being introduced left, right and center, it’s quite easy to achieve the once impossible task of flawless, glowing skin. However, with products literally being produced in bulk, how do you choose the one that’s perfect for you?
You look into the ingredients.
While you need to stay away from harsh ingredients like alcohol, sulphates, fragrances and mineral oils (their harmfulness being debatable), you actively need to find ingredients that are going to do the world of good to you.
Read on to reveal 4 skincare ingredients that you NEED to try to get your skin glowing once again:
Caffeine
You love your morning Joe but did you know that this simple ingredient can do amazing stuff for your skin?
Caffeine has anti-oxidants (which we all know are the key to fighting signs of aging) and has anti-inflammatory properties. Just like the caffeine in your beverages acts as a stimulant for your body, the caffeine in your skincare products acts as a stimulant for your skin.
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It increases blood circulation and decreases fluid build-up in your facial skin when applied topically, which is why it is one of the most common and approved ingredients for eye creams. Not only does its presence help reduce the appearance of dark circles but also, helps de-puff the under-eye bags and tighten the skin around the eyes.
Some of our favorite eye care products that use caffeine to boost their effectiveness include PETER THOMAS ROTH – 24k Gold Pure Luxury Lift and Firm Hydra-Gel Eye Patches, GLAMGLOW – BRIGHTMUD Eye Treatment and Philosophy – Full of Promise Restoring Eye Duo For Upper-Lid Lifting And Under-Eye Firming.
Other star skincare products that use caffeine as one of their ingredients to help tone the skin and control excess sebum production include Dermalogica – mediBac Sebum Clearing Masque, PETER THOMAS ROTH – Laser-Free Regenerator Moisturizing Gel-Cream and PETER THOMAS ROTH – Firmx Firming Night Moisturizer, the latter two being award winning products.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids
The game changers of this decade, Alpha Hydroxy Acids, more popularly known as AHAs, are the key to the new gen exfoliation.
AHAs are acids – glycolic acid and lactic acid, the two most popular ones – that help gently exfoliate the outermost layer of the skin, stimulate collagen production and help minimize the appearance of pores and wrinkles.
While these acids are THE key to glowing skin in a flash, they need to be formulated in a particular way to be effective without harming the skin. Moreover, an essential point to note is that AHAs increase the photosensitivity of the skin – which in turn means that applying sunscreen with at least SPF 30 is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
There are a tonne of products featuring AHAs nowadays so you need to choose depending on your skin type and condition.
If you are opting for glycolic acid, start off with a low percentage, that is, 5%, and then move on to higher percentages. Lower percentages can be applied daily while higher percentages should be applied with caution and only once or twice a week. Also, be sure to do a patch test before covering your face in acids to ensure that you are not allergic to any.
Start off with something gentle like REN – Clarimatte Clarifying Toner, CANE+AUSTIN – 10 Percent Retexture Pad . You can then move on to high strength acids like PETER THOMAS ROTH – Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads, Philosophy – The Microdelivery Overnight Anti-Aging Peel and CANE+AUSTIN – 20 Percent Miracle Pad. Apart from exfoliating toners and pads, you can also invest in creams that help deliver AHAs to your skin and rejuvenate them from within like Philosophy – Hope In A Jar Night and Exuviance – Age Reverse Night Lift.
Side Note: Beta Hydroxy Acids work to help exfoliate skin too; but are more targeted towards oily skin since they help de-clog pores and fight acne. The most popular one is salicylic acid. However, please use caution while using it because of its property to thin blood consistency if absorbed by the skin. Also, do a patch test before using it to check if you are not allergic to it.
Vitamin C
Known for its skin lightening properties, Vitamin C can help you illuminate your skin tone by decreasing hyper-pigmentation, fighting off uneven skin tone and by boosting collagen production.
While your DIY gurus might suggest you to use lemon juice directly as your source of vitamin C, it is best to leave the lemons for dietary purposes. As with all ingredients, vitamin C needs to be formulated in a certain way to avoid being harsh to the skin and cause more harm than good.
If formulated correctly, not only can vitamin C products give you the much coveted glow but can also help you ward off signs of aging with their anti-oxidant properties.
Try products like PETER THOMAS ROTH – Camu Camu Power C X 30 Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer, Bliss – Triple Oxygen Energizing Vitamin C Day Cream and REN – Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial.
Hyaluronic Acid
A water based ingredient, Hyaluronic acid is usually a key ingredient in most good quality moisturizers, targeted at anti-aging.
Hyaluronic acid is effective because of its ability to retain moisture in huge quantities. Thereby, when included in your skincare regimen, this gem of an ingredient helps retain moisture and give your skin its natural soft, plump look – a key sign of youthful skin.
Hyaluronic acid also works to repair the outermost barrier of your skin, which is usually damaged by the sun’s harmful rays and the daily wear and tear.
While Hyaluronic acid is obviously beneficial to drier skin types, it also works equally well for oily skin because of its light-weight texture and for sensitive skin types, because of its gentleness and the fact that it already is a natural part of our skin’s makeup.
PETER THOMAS ROTH – VIZ-1000 Hydrating Serum packs a power punch of 75% Hyaluronic acid making it one of the best options to include in your skincare routine. Other equally good options include Beauty Bridge – Anti-Aging Lifting Serum, Dermalogica – Intensive Moisture Balance and Beauty Bridge – Anti-Aging Revitalizing Night Cream.