The Ultimate Guide to Skincare Ingredients

There is a lot of information on the Internet about skincare ingredients, but what do those ingredients actually do for you?

Determining what your skin needs is essential to keeping a healthy glow, and choosing the right products can help. We at Medical Tattoo & Cosmetic Centers of America want to clear the air about various skincare ingredients so you can make the best choice for your skin.

Check out our comprehensive list of skincare ingredients and what they do for your skin.

Cleansing and Exfoliating

Cleansing and exfoliating are the first two steps in any skincare routine. Cleansing is important to clear the grime that accumulates on your skin during the day and wash away last night’s skincare routine to prep for a fresh day.

Exfoliating is the process of cleansing your skin with a granular or chemical exfoliant to clear away dead skin cells, leaving fresh, glowing skin behind.

Here are some popular ingredients for cleansing and exfoliating that you may find in your skincare products

• Glycolic Acid: Exfoliates, brightens, and helps with uneven skin tone

• Salicylic Acid: Deep cleans pores, treats acne, and removes dead skin cells

• Hyaluronic Acid: Hydrates and plumps the skin

• Lactic Acid: Exfoliates and hydrates, suitable for sensitive skin

• Jojoba Beads: Physical exfoliants, gentle on the skin

Moisturize

Moisturizing your skin is an important step in your skincare routine. Not only does moisturizing help your skin look amazing, but it can help with reducing acne. Acne spreads through oils on your face.

If your skin is dry, then your skin with acne will produce more acne-causing oils. If you keep your face moisturized, your skin does not need to produce more oils, which can help clear up your acne.

Let’s take a look at some moisturizing ingredients in your skincare products:

• Ceramides: Strengthen the skin barrier and retain moisture

• Glycerin: Attracts and retains moisture

• Squalane: Mimics the skin’s natural oils, providing hydration

• Shea Butter: Rich emollient, nourishes and moisturizes

• Aloe Vera: Soothes and hydrates irritated skin

Antioxidants

Many people strive to avoid looking their age, which is where antioxidants come in. Antioxidants can help fight the signs of aging by protecting, preventing, and restoring the skin from oxidative stress.

• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Brightens, firms, and protects against free radicals

• Vitamin E (Tocopherol): Nourishes and protects against oxidative damage

• Green Tea Extract: Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant

• Resveratrol: Found in red grapes that helps fight signs of aging

Anti-Aging

Anti-aging ingredients help to smooth out some signs of aging. Anti-aging products can help give your skin a more youthful appearance, which can help with self-esteem and overall positive body image.

• Retinol (Vitamin A): Stimulates collagen production and reduces fine lines

• Peptides: Boosts collagen product and improves skin elasticity

• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): Improves skin texture, reduces fine lines, and addresses hyperpigmentation

• Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): Exfoliate and improve skin tone

Soothing and Calming

Skin can easily become irritated, red, and swollen because of various environmental factors. If you have sensitive skin or easily irritated skin, choose a skin care product with some of the following ingredients to help soothe and calm your skin.

• Chamomile Extract: Anti-inflammatory and soothing

• Calendula Extract: Calms and hydrates sensitive skin

• Allantoin: Promotes skin healing and reduces irritation

• Centella Asiatica (Cica): Soothes and repairs the skin barrier

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is so important to protect your skin from harmful UV rays from the sun. UV rays can damage your skin, cause signs of aging, cause skin cancer, and other problems.

To protect your skin, wear a daily sunscreen, even in the winter. It helps prevent sunburn and protect against the issues we mentioned. It’s a simple way to help keep your skin looking youthful and clear.

• Zinc Oxide: Provides broad-spectrum protection

• Titanium Dioxide: Physical sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays

• Octocrylene: Absorbs UVB rays and stabilizes other sunscreen ingredients

• Avobenzone: Protects against UVA rays

Hydration and Barrier Repair

Your skin barrier is a “shield” that determines how your skin looks and feels. It is the outermost layer of your skin that serves as a protective shield for your face. The purpose of the skin barrier is to protect against environmental stressors, irritation, and inflammation while holding onto moisture.

Many products and the over-use of exfoliants without a dermatologist can cause damage to your skin barrier. Environmental factors can also ruin your skin barrier, like sun exposure, pollution, smoking, etc, while medical conditions, genetics, and physical damage can also play a role.

If your skin is dry, flaky, sensitive, irritated, tingly, burning, or itchy, you may have a skin barrier problem. But don’t fret. There are ways to help repair the skin barrier. It can take about two weeks for it to heal on its own if you stop using exfoliators and switch to gentle, soothing products.

The following ingredients are helpful in repairing the skin barrier:

• Fatty Acids (Omega-3, Omega-6): Nourishes and repairs the skin barrier

• Ceramides: Essential for maintaining a healthy skin barrier

• Hyaluronic Acid: Hydrates and retains moisture

• Panthenol (Vitamin B5): Soothes, hydrates, and promotes skin healing

Anti-Inflammatory

Finally, keeping your skin under control is a good way to keep down redness and irritation. These ingredients can also help prevent further inflammation.

• Tumeric Extract: Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant

• Bisabolol: Soothes and reduces redness

• Oat Extract: Calms irritated skin and provides relief

Repair and Refresh Your Skin With Medical Tattoo & Cosmetic Centers of America

Medica Tattoo & Cosmetic Centers of America can help you on your journey to beautiful skin. We offer a variety of skin care treatments that are designed to help reduce signs of aging and rejuvenate the skin. We provide microneedling, nonsurgical face lifts, skin resurfacing, and more.

Have questions about your skin? Give us a call at 612-770-0000 for a free consultation. You can also message us online, and one of our specialists will contact you. Get the skin you deserve today!