In-depth about Active Ingredients in Skincare

If you’re not well versed in the world of skincare, you may be overwhelmed by the intimidating names constantly thrown by dermatologists when talking about active ingredients - like peptides, ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
Have no fear - we’re here to break down what actives actually are and why you need to start incorporating them into your skincare routine if you want healthy, glowing skin!

What are actives?

Actives are products that contain active ingredients that are backed by science. This means if they appear on a bottle of your skincare, they will most likely be effective and give you the results they promise to give. They’ve usually been proven in a lab, by research, to change the skin in some way.

Common active ingredients you may have heard of include:

• Hyaluronic Acid 
• Niacinamide
• Peptides
• Retinoids
• Ceramides

Still unsure about what actives can do for your skin? Keep reading!

Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

What it is: A clear, natural substance that is naturally produced in our bodies, found in the fluids that lubricate the eyes and joints. HA is a humectant, which means it retains moisture, holding up to 1000 times its body weight in water.
What it can do for the skin:

• Anti-ageing
• Moisturising
• Treats eczema
• Treats redness
• Heals wounds

Where to find it: You can find HA in our Overnight Renewal Cream, Ultimate Serum, Hydrating Peptide Day Cream and Ultimate Night Cream, adding extra moisturising properties to those formulas to give you soft, plump skin.

Ceramides

What it is: Lipids, or fatty acids that are produced in the sebaceous glands in our skin. Ceramides make up 50% of our skin’s epidermis - which is the skin’s outer layer. 
What it can do for the skin:

• Prevents transepidermal water loss
• Reduces inflammation
• Rejuvenates ageing skin
• Improves skin barrier function
• Prevents acne breakouts

Where to find it:Ceramides can be found in our Hydrating Peptide Day Cream, which helps to protect and restore the skin’s moisture barrier.

Peptides

What it is: Fundamental components of cells that are made up of chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. Collagen is made of three polypeptide chains, so adding peptides to skincare can stimulate your skin to make collagen.
What it can do for the skin:

• Improved skin barrier
• Reduced wrinkles
• Clears breakouts
• Eases inflammation
• Improves elasticity

Where to find it: Our natural active peptide, NaturePep®, can be found in our Hydrating Peptide Day Cream, helping to improve skin firmness and elasticity.

Niacinamide

What it is: A form of vitamin B-3, which is an essential nutrient and antioxidant that is important for cell repair.

What it can do for the skin:

• Minimise pore appearance
• Regulates oil
• Treats hyperpigmentation
• Minimises fine lines and wrinkles
• Minimises redness and inflammation

Where to find it: Our Citrus Gel Cleanser contains niacinamide, helping to reduce inflammation, regulate oil and minimise pore appearance.

Ameliox 

What it is: Ameliox is a naturally derived, anti-glycation (reducing reactions that have an impact on the skin) peptide, which is scientifically proven to visibly reduce lines and wrinkles.
What it can do for the skin:

• Smooths skin
• Visibly reduces frown lines and wrinkles
• Increases firmness of skin
• Firms, tightens and hydrates skin

Where to find it: Ameliox can be found in our natural facial serum, the Ultimate Serum, which is a lightweight formula proven to visibly reduce wrinkles and plump skin.

Retinoids

What it is: A class of compounds that derive from vitamin A. Retinol is a type of retinoid, which travels under the top layer of skin to reach the dermis, and from there, neutralises free radicals (unstable molecules that cause damage to skin cells) to boost elastin and collagen.
What it can do for the skin:

• Increases collagen production
• Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• Fade age spots
• Smooth rough skin
• Stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin

Where to find it: Our Ultimate Serum, which contains HA and Ameliox, is clinically proven to outperform retinol in its ability to stimulate collagen.

Now that you’re up to date on the impacts of active ingredients, you can go forth and confidently pick products that will work for you. Don’t have a skincare routine yet? Browse our natural facial cleansers, natural facial serums, natural facial oils and natural facial moisturisers.
Natural Skincare, With Clinically-Proven Results.You may be wondering how we got our ‘clinically-proven’ results for some of our products. Our products have been in vitro tested by a lab in New Zealand called Trinity Bioactives. They use real human skin cells and inject the cells with our products, then measure the increase in collagen and elastin in the skin cells. These results and claims shown on our product pages have come from the lab where we had it all tested.