Ingredient A–Z
Plain-language guides to the ingredients on your labels: what each one does, for which concerns, and how strong the evidence is.
B
- Bakuchiolfine lines, dark spots, uneven tone, sensitive skin that dislikes retinolLimited evidence
C
- Centella asiatica (cica)redness, dry or tight skin, a weakened skin barrier, fine lines around the eyes and lipsLimited evidence
- Ceramidesdry skin, tight skin after washing, flaking, easily irritated skinModerate evidence
- Collagenloss of firmness, dryness, fine linesModerate evidence
G
- Glycerindry skin, tightness, flaky patches, winter drynessStrong evidence
- Glycolic acidrough texture, dullness, uneven tone, sun-worn or thin-looking skinModerate evidence
H
- Hyaluronic aciddehydrated skin, fine dryness lines, dull skin, tightnessModerate evidence
L
- Lactic acidrough dry skin, bumpy texture, fine lines, dullnessModerate evidence
- LHA (lipohydroxy acid)blackheads, clogged pores, breakouts, rough texture, marks left by breakoutsLimited evidence
N
- Niacinamidedark spots, uneven skin tone, redness, oily skin and shine, fine linesModerate evidence
P
- Panthenoldry skin, tight or irritated skin, redness after irritation, chapped skinModerate evidence
- PDRNfine lines, skin recovery after procedures, loss of firmness, dullnessLimited evidence
- Peptidesfine lines, expression lines, loss of firmnessLimited evidence
- PHA (polyhydroxy acids)rough texture, dullness, sensitive skin that stings with acids, fine linesLimited evidence
R
- Retinal (retinaldehyde)fine lines, rough texture, dullness, sun-related skin ageingModerate evidence
- Retinolfine lines, crepey or thin-looking skin, rough texture, uneven toneModerate evidence
S
- Salicylic acidblackheads, whiteheads, breakouts, oily skin, rough textureModerate evidence
T
- Tranexamic acidbrown patches, dark spots, uneven skin tone, rednessLimited evidence
U
- Ureavery dry skin, rough bumps on arms and thighs, cracked heels, flaky patchesStrong evidence
V
- Vitamin Cdullness, dark spots, uneven skin tone, fine lines, sun-related skin ageingModerate evidence
Z
- Zinc oxidesunburn, sun spots and tanning, white cast from mineral sunscreen, worries about nanoparticlesStrong evidence