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If you’re into beauty and skincare, you’ve probably heard about active ingredients or actives. This term has been tossed around when talking about serums and ampules in Asian skincare. Be that as it may, not every beauty enthusiast is informed on what are actives in skincare. Fret not! We’ll give you a crash course on everything you need to know about actives in skincare.
What are actives in skincare?
Skincare actives are ingredients that have been scientifically proven in changing how your skin feels, looks, and behaves. They basically change your skin structure at a cellular level. Additionally, active ingredients rejuvenate, protect, nourish, repair, and hydrate your cells.
On the other hand, inactive ingredients are components used to develop a product. Some examples of inactive ingredients are fragrances used to make a product smell nice and emulsifiers to give moisturisers texture. These ingredients do not give any natural benefits to your skin.
Inactive ingredients are important as they are the sidekicks of the actives in Asian skincare. They can make a product look, smell, and feel good, but the real value of a product lies in its active ingredients because they give natural benefits to your skin.
What are the main benefits of actives in skincare?
Active ingredients can do a lot of things, from smoothing wrinkles to clearing acne. It will just depend on what kind of ingredient and how much of it is present in the product for you to reap its benefits.
Some benefits you can get from different actives are:
- Boosting collagen.
- Helping skin regeneration, removing sunspots.
- Reducing bacteria in the skin, eliminating acne.
- Brightening dark circles.
- Restoring skin elasticity.
- Calming redness.
- Relieving sunburn.
- Hydrating dry skin.
- Deep cleansing.
- Improving skin tone.
Actives in Asian skincare routine are what make a product acne-fighting or anti-ageing. Additionally, they are more concentrated in products like essences and serums which is why the products are marketed as treatments for specific skin issues.
What are the most common types of actives in skincare?
One of the most helpful tips in choosing products for your skincare regimen is to read the label. To not overwhelm you with unfamiliar ingredients, let us break down the best actives in skincare so that you’ll know exactly which products can help you out.
- AHAs
Alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) is a water-soluble chemical exfoliant that discards dead skin buildup right at the surface of the skin. With this, you’ll get an even complexion and get rid of whiteheads and blackheads.
Some examples of AHAs are witch hazel, lactic acid, mandelic acid, glycolic acid, citric acid, and malic acid.
- BHAs
Beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) is an oil-soluble chemical exfoliant that treats blemish-prone skin. Unlike AHAs, BHAs penetrate through your skin’s surface and clears your pores of dirt and excess sebum which can reduce oiliness and inflammation.
Some examples of BHAs are betaine salicylate, tropic acid, salicylic acid, trethocanic acid, and willow bark extract.
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that increases elastin and collagen production. With this, you can have younger-looking and firmer skin. Additionally, it can also brighten your skin, even your skin tone, and correct hyperpigmentation.
- Retinoids
Retinoids are a potent vitamin A derivative that increases cell turnover fights wrinkles, and treats acne. As much as retinoids are known for fighting signs of ageing and acne, they do come with minor side effects.
Using retinoids can dry out your skin, be irritating for sensitive skin, and increase your skin’s UV ray sensitivity. With this, it’s important to pair retinoids with a rich moisturiser and an SPF of at least 30 to avoid damage.
How to layer actives in the Asian skincare routine?
When you follow an Asian skincare routine, you can squeeze in skincare actives after you cleanse your face. By doing this, the product will be applied very close to your bare skin.
You can start putting the pH-dependent products first so that they can dry out before you add the next. Alternatively, you can follow the “thin to thick” method. Afterwards, you can proceed to nourish your skin with the next step of your routine.
Actives Combinations
Sometimes, actives in skincare work well when paired together. You just need to find the perfect combo that will best serve (and not irritate) you.
- Vitamin C + Vitamin E – For protection from free radicals. Vitamin C helps regenerate vitamin E, then vitamin E works as an antioxidant. With this, vitamin E can help increase vitamin C’s actions.
- Glycolic Acid + Resveratrol – For hyperpigmentation. Both resveratrol and AHAs like glycolic acid hinder tyrosinase, an enzyme that produces melanin. With this, resveratrol can work to reduce pigmentation while glycolic acid can increase the rate of cell turnover.
- Retinol + Niacinamide – For hydration and collagen production boost. Retinol can boost your collagen production but can dry your skin. Meanwhile, niacinamide improves hydration. With niacinamide helping with retinol’s side effects, you can experience retinol’s full benefits.
- Salicylic Acid + Niacinamide – For anti-ageing and anti-acne. These ingredients work similarly in improving signs of ageing and penetrating pores, but they do have slight differences that can give you added benefits. This combination can deeply clean your pores while reducing redness and pore size.
How often should you apply actives?
You should start applying actives in Asian skincare around two to three times a week. Then, depending on how your skin reacts to it and the concentration of the product, you can increase or decrease the frequency of application. With retinol products, you should start by using them once a week.
Since actives in Asian skincare routines are scientifically-backed, they will do the job in a short amount of time. However, it’s important to consider that they can be very potent which is why you would need to do some research to avoid irritating your skin.
Getting to know the basics of the best actives in skincare is the first step to solving your skin issues. Just remember to always ease your way when introducing a new product into your routine so that you can reap the full benefits of the actives!
