**Collaborative post**
Acids, vitamins, serums, peptides, retinoids… the list of scientific-sounding words that promise to revitalise, replenish and restore your skin goes on and on.
But which of them actually has scientific credentials to back up their claims?
When it comes down to it, a good skincare ingredient hydrates, maintains the skin barrier, helps with cell signalling and protects against UV.
So if an ingredient you find listed on your skincare product makes a claim, it better be able to back it up by helping with one of the aforementioned aspects of skincare.
But which of them actually do?
Find out below.
Niacinamide
A form of vitamin B3, Niacinamide is often referred to as a ‘jack of all trades’ ingredient in the media because of the lengthy list of benefits it brings to the skin.
Indeed, it’s easy to understand how it got its moniker, as it helps skin cells perform a range of functions, including making ceramides (see below), controlling pigmentation, and regulating inflammation and sebum production.
A minimum concentration of 2-5% is commonly recommended for effective results, but the sweet spot for many people is 4–5%, which gives both barrier repair and oil regulation.
The good news is that it’s used in a whole host of skincare products, so you can’t avoid it – including serums, moisturisers, toners and sunscreens.
Ceramides
If you imagine your skin cells as the bricks in a brick wall, then ceramides are the mortar that holds the whole thing together.
They are naturally occurring lipids, or fats, that play a vital role in your skin barrier, and a good skincare routine ought to pay close attention to maintaining and replenishing them.
Ceramides are essential because they keep water in and irritants out.
That’s why they are commonly found in moisturisers and skin cleansers.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydration and plumpness are key to healthy-looking skin, and that’s where hyaluronic acid comes in.
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally produced humectant, meaning it traps and stores water – one HA molecule is capable of holding up to a thousand times its weight in water.
But even though the skin makes the stuff naturally, it can still do with a helping hand from your skincare routine.
Remember to use a hyaluronic-infused serum on slightly damp skin and apply moisturiser after application to ensure the water stays trapped in the top layer of skin.
Vitamin C
A classic but also one of the most established and scientifically proven ways of maintaining your skin, ascorbic acid or vitamin C works wonders.
It helps in the fight against free radicals, which are caused by UV, pollution, smoking, inflammation and even stress.
Free radicals wreak havoc in skin cells if left unchecked, breaking down the skin’s collagen, which gives skin its structure and plumpness, and causing overproduction of melanin, the pigmentation that causes uneven dark spots.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and often turns up in serums and moisturisers, and is most effective when used in concentrations between 10%-20% range.
The vitamin C-infused products at Our Concept Beauty range fall into the 5% to 20% range.
Conclusion
Beauty marketing blurb abounds with scientific-sounding language and claims.
You’re no doubt familiar with many of them – claims like ‘Clinically proven…’ and ‘Dermatologist tested…’ can be found on the packaging of lots of products.
But to be sure you’re getting what it says on the tin, check the legitimacy of the product claims by digging deeper and checking ingredients here.
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