Current Actives in My Skincare Routine (That You Need, Too!)

What are actives?

First, let's dive into what actives actually are. They are active ingredients in a product that are intended to biologically & biophysically alter your skin over time. Depending on what your primary concerns are, there are many active ingredients on the market that target specific concerns, such as aging, texture, hyperpigmentation, & complexion. 

What actives do I currently use in my own routine?

As someone in their late 20s, my main goal is to keep my skin clear, youthful, & radiant so a lot of my favorite actives to use help me attain these goals. The five main ingredients that work alone or synergystically in my routine are beta hydroxy acids (or BHAs), niacinamide, tretinoin, & vitamin C. Now let's go down the list of these ingredients & see the products I personally use that contain those ingredients.

Salicylic acid is a type of BHA & a great chemical exfoliant. It penetrates into the epidermis & exfoliates the skin at the cellular level, allowing new skin to reach the surface. It also helps to control oil production to improve acne, reduce fine lines & texture to give you smoother skin, & even out uneven skin tone caused by sun damage to give an overall brighter, radiant complexion. The two products I use day/night that contain a BHA is the Naturium BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2% & d'Alba Peptide No Sebum Balancing toner. 

The one from Naturium contains encapsulated salicylic acid to allow for a much more even & slower distribution of the product. This makes this toner compatible with other actives, such as retinol. For the toner, one thing to note is that it contains betaine salicylate, which is 'considered' a much more gentle form of salicylic acid. I couldn't find any research on this ingredient, but for someone who may not be able to tolerate a true salicylic acid, this might be an alternative for you.

Niacinamide is another type of active, specifically a type of vitamin B, that has been found to be well-tolerated by most. According to Wohldrab et al 2014, niacinamide has anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, lightening, antimicrobial, & photoprotective effects. Personally, I've found that this active has significantly improved congestion in my pores as well as aided in sebum control, which help prevent breakouts. I don't feel that my face develops a ton of oil throughout the day anymore since I started using Naturium's Niacinamide 12% + Zinc 2% serum in the morning. 

Now onto an ingredient that targets wrinkles... Prescription-grade tretinoin has been a must-have in my routine. I have tried several over-the-counter (OTC) retinols, but nothing compares to tretinoin when it comes to slowing down the signs of aging or even reversing them. I'm currently using tretinoin 0.09% in a custom formula from Curology every night. I've had no issues with sensitivity while using this, such as redness or flakiness, but I know many people find that it can be too strong. I would recommend discussing use with your dermatologist first, then possibly starting with an OTC retinol & slowly increasing the concentration so that your skin can fully adjust. 

The last active I want to mention is L-ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C. This is a well-known antioxidant that protects your skin against environmental stressors by neutralizing free radicals that can destroy collagen in your skin, while also having the ability to reverse environmental damage as it is an essential component in collagen synthesis. I always make sure to wear this with SPF during the day because research shows that the combination of SPF actually enhances the efficacy of vitamin C when paired together. 

My favorite is Naturium's Vitamin C 22% Complex serum. YES, it has a high concentration, but it's encapsulated! It also contains both hyaluronic acid (for hydration) & vitamin E (for synergistic effect). While vitamin C neutralizes free radicals, vitamin E basically stops the free radical cascade, which takes protecting your skin to another level.

But… which one should you use?

Remember that your skincare routine should be based on your own personal skin goals & the time & effort you want to put into it. For me, I figured out what aspects of my skin I want to improve upon & slowly added products to target the concerns I had. I would definitely recommend making a list to prioritize what skin concern you want to target first & then add one product into your routine for that specific concern. Once you start seeing results from that, you can add on another product to target the next one! Rule of thumb is to never overcomplicate it or else you & your skin are going to be too overwhelmed. Remember, it's important to take it slow because seeing results requires patience anyway 😉