What are actives in skincare?

Grab a product from your skincare shelf (if it’s in the original packaging even better!) and skim through the ingredients list. You’ll likely find that some ingredients sound familiar, while others are completely new to you.

You’ve probably heard of hyaluronic acid, for example, but have you ever come across hydroxyacetophenone or pentylene glycol? Perhaps not!

Why is it, then, that ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C or retinol stand out (or are advertised) more?

In most cases it’s because these are the actives.

All ingredients that go into a skincare product serve a purpose, but it’s the active ingredients (actives, for short) that really run the show. These are the ones that have been picked specifically to make a difference to your skin.

What makes an ingredient ‘active’

Skincare ingredients usually fall into two groups: active or inactive. Active ingredients are the workhorses that target a specific skin concern and deliver the product’s intended results.

So what do the inactive ingredients do?

Inactive ingredients, despite what the name might suggest, aren’t lying dormant! Not only do these work quietly in the background to support the actives, many inactive ingredients actually have benefits in their own right.

Take butylene glycol, for example. Its primary purpose is as a solvent which keeps products stable… but that’s not the only thing it can do. It also helps the product penetrate into the skin and it has humectant properties.

How to identify active ingredients

Sometimes it’ll be obvious what the active ingredient of a product is. It might be in the name – The Inkey List’s Salicyclic Acid Cleanser is a pretty clear cut example of this. Or it might be highlighted on the packaging.

Some brands may even separate their ingredients list by active or inactive ingredients. As you can see on the product below, there are two UV filters which are listed as active ingredients.

If an ingredient has a percentage next to it, this is also a good indicator that it’s active. Many active ingredients have an optimal concentration range. Going below this range lessens results and going above can lead to irritation. The ideal concentration level of vitamin C, for example, is between 5% and 20%.

If none of the above apply, check the next section!

Common active ingredients

Active ingredients are usually included in a product because they target specific skin concerns. With that in mind, here are several skin concerns and the active ingredients that are commonly used to tackle them:

Dryness or dehydration – Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, Vitamin E

Breakouts – BHAs (e.g. Salicylic Acid), Benzoyl Peroxide

Damaged skin barrier – Niacinamide, Ceramides

Signs of ageing – Vitamin A, Bakuchiol

Uneven skin tone – Vitamin C

Texture – AHAs (e.g. Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid)

UV filters are also classed as active ingredients, so keep an eye out for mineral filters like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, and chemical filters such as avobenzone and oxybenzone.

How to choose the right active for your skin

If you’re looking for quick results or dealing with multiple different skin concerns, you may be tempted to dive right in and apply as many active ingredients as you can.

Realistically, though, this is likely going to overwhelm your skin and cause more issues than you started with!

Try to decide which concern bothers you most and start from there. If you’re suffering with acne breakouts and uneven skin, perhaps go for a cleanser that contains salicylic acid then, when your skin gets used to it, add a vitamin C serum into the mix.

The most important thing is to be patient and gentle with your skin. Make sure to patch test active ingredients before you apply them to your face and discontinue use if you notice any signs of irritation.

Which active ingredients should not be mixed

By nature, active ingredients tend to be pretty potent which means they can’t always be layered together. In some instances, mixing actives can cause the ingredients to cancel each other out, in others it can cause irritation.

Here are just a few active ingredients you should not mix:

• Vitamin A (retinoids) and AHAs
• Vitamin A (retinoids) and BHAs
• Vitamin A (retinoids) and Vitamin C
• Vitamin A (retinoids) and Benzoyl Peroxide
• Vitamin C and AHAs
• Vitamin C and BHAs
• Vitamin C and Benzoyl Peroxide

The overarching takeaway here is that Vitamin A and Vitamin C are best used alone (or at least not with other active ingredients).

Hopefully this blog post has demystified skincare actives and how they work. If you have any questions, just pop a comment down below!