Skincare Ingredients for Your Skin Type

Not the one you had in your teens, when you wore a perm, had braces with pink and purple elastics (because that made them look better) and your face see-sawed between just being shiny and erupting in excess oil and pimples. No, we’re talking about your adult skin at whatever age you are at this moment. If your answer is yes, pat yourself on the back. Double pat if you know what skincare ingredients work best on your face.

Skincare ingredients are not to be confused with the different categories of skincare products, such as intense moisturizers for dry skin or gel lotions for oily skin, but are, rather, the key ingredients that need to be listed on the labels of said skincare products so that your face gets the best beautifying and health-inducing results. Not sure what you need? No problem. We’ve got you and your skincare solutions covered.

Dry or Dehydrated Skin

Sure, you envied the girls in high school with seemingly poreless skin. They never broke a sweat in gym class, didn’t know the meaning of the word “shiny” and could bake for hours under the sun without looking hot or bothered. They had dry skin, which for an adult can often look and feel tight, uncomfortable and, of course, dry. Frequently itchy, with visible flakes or even cracks, this skin type can be red in appearance and have pronounced fine lines and wrinkles, which increase after the age of 40, when most women’s skin begins to lose collagen and moisture.

Your ingredient fix: Hyaluronic acid. This face whisperer for smooth and hydrated skin works its magic by attracting moisture to your cells, capturing it and then holding it in so your face looks fuller and smoother, with fewer visible lines, and feels softer to the touch. Using skincare products containing hyaluronic acid, like is key to eliminating dry skin and its symptoms.

Oily or Acne-Prone Skin

When you look in the mirror, do you see pimples, blackheads and crow’s feet staring back at you? For those who answer yes, we agree that it’s truly unfair, especially since your teen years have come and gone. While this oily shift in your skin may seem like adolescent acne—and in a lot of ways it is, considering the unwanted spots are a result of excess oil and bacteria—adult acne does have its differences. For starters, it’s predominantly the result of fluctuating hormones from menstruation, pregnancy and even menopause. Factor in our ever-changing environment, with its increase in pollution and lifestyle stressors, and adult acne is more common than you think. 

Your ingredient fixes: Retinol and activated charcoal. These warriors against adult acne provide a myriad of benefits for your skin, including unclogging pores. Benefits of activated charcoal include absorbing and ferrying away toxins, chemicals, dirt, oil and more from the surface of your skin when you rinse the charcoal off your face. As for retinol, because it’s a vitamin A derivative, its benefits include reducing inflammation and excess oil. Opting for skincare products such as L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Cicacream, along with activated charcoal masks like L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Charcoal Mask for Dull Skin is your best bet as they’ll cleanse and eradicate acne without stripping your skin of the moisture it needs.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is not a one-size-fits-all category. It also doesn’t mean your skin has feelings; rather, it can feel too much. These skincare issues can present on your face in a variety of ways. So if your skin is predisposed to dry patches, bumps or rashes or if it flushes easily and stings when you apply skincare products, chances are you have sensitive skin. Your ingredient fixes: Aloe vera and squalene. These super-moisturizers and smoothers work hard to make sure your skin is soft and hydrated. Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, aloe vera soothes your skin to eliminate itching and redness, while squalene’s natural oils help boost your skin’s elasticity and won’t clog pores or cause breakouts. Try skincare products such as L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Oily Skin for 72 hours of intense and continuous hydration.

Aging Skin

No longer a taboo category, aging skin simply translates into skin that wants and needs revitalizing skincare products to simultaneously keep fine lines and wrinkles at bay and make skin look refreshed and vital. The first signs of aging skin are typically the tiny lines of crow’s feet around the eyes. Later, sunspots, drooping eyelids and thinner and more crepe-like facial skin can occur. And, of course, deeper lines and wrinkles become more abundant with each passing decade. Fortunately, anti-aging skincare products can help stave off these signs.

Your ingredient fix: Centella asiatica. Otherwise known as cica, this newbie to skincare is an antioxidant-rich herb that heals sore, red, irritated and damaged skin. It has also been known to improve your skin’s firmness and elasticity, boost collagen production and act as a humectant (keeping moisture in the skin). Cica is quickly becoming one of the most coveted anti-aging skincare ingredients, thanks in part to the plumper, smoother, softer and younger-looking skin it leaves behind. Try L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Cicacream.