5 Ingredients to Look for in Your Skincare Products

5 Ingredients to Look for in Your Skincare Products

If you have ever taken the time to look at the labels of your skincare products and makeup, you’ll know that you can find a bewildering number of strange words and curious sounding compounds listed as ingredients.

Many of these are actually simple ingredients given sophisticated names. Aqua is a common ingredient listed on cosmetics, and this means water is a part of this product’s recipe. Here are five simple ingredients you should look for in your skincare products, and why.

Vitamin C

This isn’t just good for your body, but good for your skin too. Skincare products with a high vitamin C content are great for giving fresh life to dull and dry skin. Vitamin C gives your skin a ‘glow’ that few other products can match. Our skin often absorbs vitamin C from sunlight, and adding Vit-C to skincare products helps replace the vitamin C we lose by being stuck inside at work or home. Skincare products made from natural ingredients high in vitamin C like carrots and citrus fruits are becoming more and more popular.

Ceramides

Ceramides are a type of molecule that is found in the cells of the upper layer of our skin. They help protect the skin from the environment and toxins. Skincare products with added ceramides help replenish our skin’s natural ceramide reservoir, and assist our skin’s natural functions. They help skin retain moisture, and help treat dry and itchy skin as well as eczema. Our natural ceramide levels decrease with age, so ceramides are often found in ‘anti-aging’ products, and wrinkle creams.

Hyaluronic Acid

This is a fantastic ingredient for dry and dehydrated skin, don’t let the word acid put you off. This ingredient helps plump skin cells and retain its natural moisture. When our skin is moist, it is softer and looks visibly fresher, and younger. Use skincare products that contain hyaluronic acid between cleansing or toning and your moisturizing, so your skin holds as much moisture as possible, for softer looking and feeling skin.

Retinol

This is an ingredient that works wonders on wrinkles, and this has put it in high demand. There was even a shortage of retinol products, as it became such a big hit when it first became available. Now it is a ‘must have’ ingredient for ‘anti-aging’ products. It is excellent at reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and is so effective that most skincare experts suggest you start small and work your way up. If you introduce it to your skincare regimen, do so gradually and give it time to get some results. A little goes a long way.

Peptides

Peptides are made from amino acids, and occur naturally in the skin. They help your skin rebuild proteins, helping your skin stay firm and smooth. Skincare professionals know peptides as one of the building blocks of our skin, and their use in skincare products help to revitalize and rejuvenate skin. By repairing your skin cells with peptides, your skin can function better, and you will see better results from all the skincare products you use. Peptides help provide a base for other ingredients to build upon, and are usually used in addition to one or more of the other ingredients in our list.

Hidden within the dense and confusing list of ingredients you will find on skincare products and cosmetics, you can find some key essential elements that will help you get the skin you want.

From ceramides to peptides, and vitamins and essential acids, there are some effective ingredients in a lot of common skincare products that can often go overlooked. Have a look on your labels to see what the products you use have inside.