Buying skincare products can often be overwhelming, especially with so many brands and options to choose from. How do we know what’s ACTUALLY good for you and worth spending your money on? Don’t worry, I’m here to help with 8 key ingredients that you should look out for the next time you go shopping!
Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients and the benefits that they offer for our skin:
Rice
We often see this ingredient in many Asian skincare products and it’s been sworn by many women to be a holy grail ingredient for anti-ageing purposes. It contains minerals, amino acids and antioxidants which help to hydrate skin, brighten spots, refine pores for a smooth skin texture and increase collagen production to improve elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles. It pretty much does it all!
Tony Moly Wonder Rice Smoothing Toner ($19.90)
Cosrx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask ($26.01)
Tony Moly’s Wonder Rice Smoothing Toner is a great value-for-money buy since it comes in a generous 500ml bottle. Its light-weight consistency allows you to layer it for more hydration. If you’re on the lazier side and prefer not to layer too many products, opt for an overnight sleeping mask like the one from Cosrx. This way, you won’t have to spend extra time using a rinse-off/sheet mask and you’ll still get the effects of plumper skin the next day!
Green Tea
Oh, my love, green tea. We drink it, we eat it and of course we use it on our face. And why shouldn’t we when this ingredient has SO MANY wonderful properties and benefits. When consumed, green tea is great for boosting metabolism and helps to reduce inflammation from the inside out. And the benefits don’t stop there. When applied topically, green tea is an astringent for controlling oil, protects skin from sun damage and free radicals, it contains antioxidants to slow ageing and has Catechins – which help to combat hormonal imbalances leading to acne.
Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum ($39.05)
This serum has been a long-time bestseller from Innisfree and having used it for several years myself, I can truly say that this product packs a powerful punch of hydration to my skin. Especially since they’ve re-formulated the product to contain 3.5 times more hydration and amino acids, this product can serve as a one-step moisturiser after toning for lazier days.
Snail Mucin
AKA snail secretion. Yes, I do realise that it can sound a little icky when you think about putting snail slime on your face. But there really isn’t too much to worry about. Snail mucin for cosmetic use has been filtrated and processed for safe usage on your skin. It contains hyaluronic acid and glycolic acid which provides hydration. Other than that, it can also reduce the appearance of wrinkle and scars with long-term usage, therefore, we often see this ingredient in anti-ageing products.
Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence ($26.01)
This particular essence from Cosrx contains 96% Snail Mucin – with this amount of concentration, it means that you can get the most out of the ingredient. And it definitely does deliver a high level of hydration to the skin while helping to smooth out bumps. Although you may want to be careful with this if you have very sensitive skin!
The Saem Gold Snail Wrinkle Plumper (USD 42)
The soft silicone tip makes it convenient for dispensing and massaging the product at one go, so that you won’t have to use your hands to scoop up the cream!
Propolis
Not to be confused with honey or royal jelly, propolis is the substance that keeps honeycombs together. It’s made from beeswax and saliva together with tree sap and other botanical sources to serve as a sealant for small gaps in the hive. As for its skincare benefits, it’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory – meaning that it’s great for healing and soothing your acne, all while plumping your skin with high levels of hydration. It’s also a great substitute for Vitamin C when it comes to reducing hyper pigmentation as it’s less harsh and definitely more moisturising.
Skinfood Royal Honey Propolis Enrich Essence (USD 39)
Skinfood’s essence contains 63% Propolis extract and 10% Royal Jelly extract so that you can benefit from both ingredients. This product will eliminate redness and dry spots, and will also fade your acne scars. It can be a little sticky, so do use in smaller amounts if you want it to absorb faster!
Birch Juice
Also known as Birch Tree Sap/Water, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice is much more commonly known as birch juice, and very much like coconut water, it can be consumed straight from the tree. Birch juice contains a whole long list of beneficial ingredients such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, proteins and sugars which maintains your skin’s oil-moisture balance – something that is REALLY important when it comes to having healthy, clear skin. Due to its small molecular structure, this highly hydrating ingredient absorbs very easily into the skin without feeling heavy.
ENature Birch Juice Hydro Essence Skin (USD 39)
This product combines essence with skin (toner) in a light-weight formula that can be layered easily for dehydrated skin. Besides 78% Birch Juice, this essence skin also contains healing ingredients such as chamomile and plantain seed extract.
Fermented Ingredients
Now I do realise that this is more of a category rather than an actual ingredient, but I thought I’d add this in so that we can talk about the reasons why fermented ingredients are so sought after. As you may already know, in the process of fermentation, yeast is used to break down raw ingredients into smaller molecules while creating antioxidants and amino acids and increasing nutrients. Since it has smaller molecules, the fermented version of ingredients absorb better therefore increasing the efficacy of the ingredient. Fermented products also mean fewer preservatives – yay for sensitive skin users!
Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence Intensive Moist (USD 49)
This best-selling product from Missha has been labelled as the much cheaper version of SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence – even their names are similar! Much like its expensive counterpart, this essence contains over 90% fermented yeast extract from Himalayan purple barley, plus other powerful ingredients like Niacinamide for brightening your complexion.
Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence (USD 38)
On top of 93% fermented ingredients, this essence also contains 17% Birch Juice and 9% Rice extracts to brighten and deeply moisturise your skin. And it’s also fragrance-free!
Su:m37 Water-Full Radiant line ($80 to $178)
Su:m37 is a high-end brand that specialises in fermented products. The Water-full Radiant line in particular is light-weight and perfect for our hot weather, and is still able to moisturise and brighten up dull skin.
Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling in Wine (USD 27)
Neogen’s cult favourite peeling gauze pads seem to be a staple in many beauty junkies’ skincare routine. They come in 4 types – green tea, lemon, wine and cica. The wine pads in particular contain Resveratrol, which is a naturally fermented ingredient derived from red wine. It’s a powerful anti-oxidant and can help to even out skin pigmentation. It also contains AHAs for exfoliation to reveal smoother skin.
Mugwort
Mugwort, or scientifically known as Artemisia Vulgaris, has been traditionally known to be a medicinal herb used for treating indigestion, constipation and boosting blood circulation. It’s often consumed as a tea to help flush out harmful toxins, which is why it’s no surprise how it can detox the skin as well. Since it is anti-inflammatory, mugwort can be used to soothe and treat pimples and rashes to promote clearer skin.
Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Toner ($17.24)
Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Cream ( $36.04)
Hanyul’s Pure Artemisia line is great for people with sensitive skin, who need products to help calm down any redness. Personally, I’ve been using these two products for a month, and I’ve noticed that whenever my skin is irritated from harsh cleansing, these products have helped a great deal in soothing any red patches.
Centella
Centella Asiatica is widely used in many acne treatment products due to its ability to heal wounds and calm redness from inflammations. It also repairs any skin damage by promoting collagen production to give you more youthful looking skin. The best thing is that you can incorporate centella extract into any step of your skincare routine – as a toner, a cream or even as a spot treatment balm.
Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Cream ($71)
There are quite a number of products nowadays which include Centella as a key ingredient. One of the best ways to use Centella is to apply a concentrated cream/balm onto your troubled areas for maximum results. Dr. Jart’s Cicapair Cream heals damaged skin and soothes any inflamed areas.
Etude House Soon Jung line ($25.90 to $33.90)
The entire Soon Jung line from Etude House uses Madecassoside – an active ingredient derived from Centella Asiatica, as one of its key ingredients. This line is free of fragrances and parabens, and is gentle for sensitive skin.
Image credits to respective brands.
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