Q&A
Which Skincare Ingredients Really Work?
Question:
With so many skincare products out there, I'm really at a loss which ones to get. Can you recommend which skin ingredients are the best to invest?
There are so many jars of beauty creams and serums out there these days, you can literally get a migraine just deciding which one to buy. Add to this all the new unique ingredients from volcanic ash to oils from exotic nuts. Many dermatologists would argue that certain skincare ingredients still lack scientific proof of efficacy, nevertheless, some of them have been proven to work and these are the ones to look out for:
Skincare Ingredients
To improve the radiance and texture of acne-prone or aging complexion, look for products that contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acid. These are weak acids obtained from fruits and milk that can chemically exfoliate away dead skin cells and unplug blocked pores. The great thing about chemical exfoliation is that your skin is 'peeled' more evenly, as opposed to physical exfoliants such as facial scrubs.
Another type of chemical exfoliant that has been proven to work well on acne-prone skin is BHA or salicylic acid. The added benefit of BHA is that it is more gentle on the skin than AHA, so it is the better choice if your skin is sensitive.
On the anti-aging front, the buzzword is antioxidants. Examples of antioxidants include vitamins C and E, green tea, beta carotene, grapeseed extract and coenzyme Q10. As you probably know, antioxidants are needed to fight the free radicals (which causes the skin to age prematurely) in the environment from traffic pollution to harmful UV rays to cigarette smoke. By comparison, coenzyme Q10 skincare tends to cost more on average than the rest, but because it's the smallest molecule around, it's believed to be able to penetrate the skin with better efficiency.
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