When it comes to selecting ingredients for your skincare routine, it’s important to first identify your goals. Ask yourself:

• Are you dealing with a specific skin condition you want to address?
• Are there any products in your current routine that are for sure working or not working for you?
• How many steps do you want in a routine?

The cool thing about selecting ingredients is that many of them can target multiple goals at once. If you’re dealing with acne but want to prevent premature aging, you will find that many of the same ingredients are beneficial for both concerns.

Skincare Ingredients for Acne, Sensitivity, and Aging

• AHAs: Alpha Hydroxy Acids are amazing for acne. These acids aid in exfoliation, brightening, smoothing, and some even help with hydrating the skin. The AHAs you’ll likely hear the most about are Glycolic, Lactic, and Mandelic acid. Mandelic is the gentles of the the AHAs because it has a large molecular size meaning that it will release slower into the skin. This limits the risk of side effects like irritation, redness, and dryness. Lactic acid is fantastic for brightening so if you get hyperpigmentation or redness from acne, this acid will be your best friend. I reach for Glycolic acid when there is stubborn acne under the skin like blackheads. It has the smallest molecular weight. This means it moves deeper into the skin and at a quicker rate to help knock out those stubborn breakouts.

• Retinoids: Retinoids go into the skin and speed up cellular turnover in the skin. This meansthat new skin cells come to the surface of the skin quicker. As we age, this turnover process significantly slows down. This is when we start to see signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles. Retinoids help to smooth out these lines, refine texture, and reduce the appearance of pores on the skin. You can learn more about retinoids here.

• BHAs: Beta Hydroxy Acids differ from AHAs because they are oil soluble. BHAs go into the pore and dissolve oil that create plugs in the skin. Salicylic acid is an example of a BHA. This ingredient can be drying so it’s important to make sure you have other barrier supporting ingredients thrown in there as well!

• Benzoyl Peroxide: Benzoyl peroxide is an ingredient that has been well studied and proven to be an excellent treatment for acne. It works by oxygenating the pore, effectively killing acne triggering bacteria. This is another ingredient that can have side effects to be aware of. These side effects include redness, dryness, irritation, and flaking. Because of this, it’s important to make sure there are barrier supportive ingredients in your routine.

• Peptides: Think of peptides like building blocks for the skin. There are different types of peptides that have different roles. Peptides have many benefits for the skin. Some of the biggest benefits are boosting collagen and elastin, hydrating and soothing, supporting the skin’s barrier, and improving texture in the skin.

• Ceramides: Ceramides are lipids, or fatty molecules, that are found naturally in your skin’s barrier. Ceramides have always been one of my favorite ingredients because they help to retain moisture, protect the skin from damage, and reinforce the skin’s barrier. You can use ceramides regularly but they’re particularly effective when working with compromised skin.

• Aloe vera: We know that aloe is helpful after receiving a painful burn, but it’s also an effective ingredient for various other skin conditions and types. Aloe naturally hydrates and cools the skin and can help treat acne, eczema, burns, and irritation.

These are just a few of the incredible ingredients that are out there to treat skin concerns, but let’s talk more about which of these ingredients will benefit you most if you have acne, sensitivity, or aging concerns.

Acne

Acne is a complex disorder of the pore that can take multiple ingredients to effectively treat and prevent. This disorder will benefit from all of the ingredients listed above. AHAs and BHAs will help to exfoliate and heal active breakouts quicker. Retinoids will encourage faster cellular turnover to push acne lesions up and out of the skin. You will likely see purging from the hydroxy acids and retinoids, but purging is an essential part of treating acne. Benzoyl peroxide is necessary to help treat and prevent future breakouts. A disrupted barrier increases your chances of developing new acne lesions so ingredients like ceramides and aloe vera are important to support your skin and allow it to heal more effectively.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity can be difficult to work with the side effects that occur. Symptoms of sensitivity or sensitized skin include redness, dryness, irritation, flaking, tightness, and itchiness. The most important step with sensitivity is ensuring that your barrier is properly supported. Without a strong barrier, you’ll continue to see these issues. Ceramides and aloe vera will be effective skincare ingredients for sensitive skin. Mandelic and Lactic acids and retinoids can be used with sensitive skin, however I recommend using very gentle formulas and reducing the frequency of use. Overuse of these products will strip your barrier and cause more reactions. Here is a blogpost I wrote with tips for working with sensitive skin.

Aging

It’s very important to step up our skincare routine as we age to keep our skin functioning at the highest level. Aging skin benefits from ingredients like retinoids and AHAs to help speed up cellular turnover, smooth out texture, wrinkles, and fine lines, and brighten up sun spots. Peptides and ceramides are also beneficial to help strengthen and repair the skin.

Using a combination of these skincare ingredients can make a huge difference in the health of your skin. Part of the issue is that there are so many products out there and not a lot of good advice on social media to steer you in the right direction. Working with a licensed esthetician like myself is important because it’s my job to find the right products and ingredients to treat your unique skin. I curate personalized routines for my clients so that they don’t need to stress about the products they’re using. I’m an Omaha, Nebraska based esthetician, but I also offer virtual services for clients who are unable to come in for services. I have 5 years of experience and a range of products and I’m confident that I can help you on your journey to better skin.