The five skin-care ingredients worth investing in, according to experts

We’re living at a time when new beauty brands – which all use social media and many of which adopt the direct-to-consumer model – pop up almost daily. In Canada, it’s the fastest-growing industry, with sales revenue up by 19 per cent to $1.7-billion in the first half of 2023, according to Circana. And when it comes to skin care – the largest category in the country and growing, with sales up 16 per cent in the first half – consumers are looking for not just what really works, but what works best for them.

Unlike choosing a new lipstick, there’s science at stake, and ingredients to know, so it can be dizzying to sift through all the information.

Fortunately, information is more accessible than it was years ago. “You’ve got platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which allow skin-care experts to talk directly to consumers,” says Dr. Geeta Yadav, a Toronto board-certified dermatologist and founder of Facet Dermatology. “And that includes both dermatologists and cosmetic chemists. So that definitely helps people gain a deeper understanding of skin-care products, how they work, and how they should use them.”

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Of course, that doesn’t mean brands won’t stop trying to dazzle you with the promise of some newly discovered molecule that will turn back the clock on your collagen production, or a plant active found in the depths of the Arctic that will defend your skin against the ravages of winter.

Pay them no mind. We asked both Yadav and Michelle Wong, an Australian cosmetic chemist also known as @labmuffinbeautyscience on Instagram, to pinpoint the ingredients that have been studied, proven and worth trying. (Note: While over-the-counter cosmetic formulas can help improve skin’s appearance, consult a cosmetic dermatologist when you’re seeking more dramatic results.)

The ingredient: Retinol

What it’s good for: fighting acne, refining texture, fading dark spots, promoting collagen production and cell turnover

The buzz: “In terms of their benefits, there is definitely evidence to show that it’s clinically proven to correct the signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles,” Yadav says. “It helps regulate sebum production to treat acne, helps induce collagen growth and it can help reduce the appearance of pores. It can help even out a bit of pigmentation as well.” It is also available in prescription strength (known as tretinoin).

Products to consider:

Shani Darden Retinol Reform, created by a celebrity L.A. facialist, has the addition of lactic acid to gently exfoliate and help with hydration. Six bottles are sold every hour.
A bestseller since it launched in 2005, RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream comes from the brand that, in 1960, was first to stabilize retinol (the ingredient is highly sensitive to light, water, oxygen and even temperature).

Shani Darden Retinol Reform, created by a celebrity L.A. facialist, has the addition of lactic acid to gently exfoliate and help with hydration. Six bottles are sold every hour.HANDOUT/Handout

A bestseller since it launched in 2005, RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream comes from the brand that, in 1960, was first to stabilize retinol (the ingredient is highly sensitive to light, water, oxygen and even temperature).HANDOUT/Handout

The ingredient: Vitamin C

What it’s good for: brightening, preventing sun damage, improving the appearance of wrinkles, fighting free radicals

The buzz: “There’s a lot of really interesting research further cementing the role of antioxidants as one of the major components that should be included in a skin-care routine,” Yadav says, with “vitamin C being one of the most potent and well-studied antioxidants. ... Its most potent form would be L-ascorbic acid, and we know that clinical studies show that it can promote collagen production, it can provide defence against damaging free radicals. It can combat hyperpigmentation by inhibiting tyrosinase, which is the enzyme that helps melanocytes produce melanin, which is the pigment of your skin. And then also when you pair it with sunscreen, it can make the sunscreen even more effective.”

Products to consider:

Launched in 2005, Skinceuticals CE Ferulic combines vitamin C with vitamin E and one bottle is sold globally every 30 seconds.
A bestseller, the waterless technology of Farmacy 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum means maximum stability and potency as water-based serums tend to be unstable and oxidize quickly.

Launched in 2005, Skinceuticals CE Ferulic combines vitamin C with vitamin E and one bottle is sold globally every 30 seconds.HANDOUT/Handout

A bestseller, the waterless technology of Farmacy 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum means maximum stability and potency as water-based serums tend to be unstable and oxidize quickly.HANDOUT/Handout

The ingredient: Niacinamide

What it’s good for: clearing pores, balancing oil, strengthening skin barrier

The buzz: “I think niacinamide is becoming kind of this mainstay in skin-care products,” Yadav says. “I don’t think it’s going to be just a trend because it also has a wide range of clinically proven benefits: It’s anti-inflammatory, it improves exfoliation on the surface of the skin as well as within the pore, it regulates sebum production, increases collagen production, and it also inhibits the formation of hyperpigmentation. It actually has a lot of the same benefits as a retinol without being as irritating.”

Wong agrees. “It’s not very irritating compared to retinoids and vitamin C, so it can be good for sensitive skin and you can use it more often than those two.”

Products to consider:

Olay Super Serum uses a patented form of what the company calls “activated niacinamide.” It has a lower pH level, making it more easily delivered to the correct cells in the skin.
Launched in 2020, one bottle of Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops includes watermelon for its amino acids, and vitamins A and C, and one bottle sells globally every 17 seconds.

Olay Super Serum uses a patented form of what the company calls “activated niacinamide.” It has a lower pH level, making it more easily delivered to the correct cells in the skin.HANDOUT/Handout

Launched in 2020, one bottle of Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops includes watermelon for its amino acids, and vitamins A and C, and one bottle sells globally every 17 seconds.HANDOUT/Handout

The ingredient: Alpha hydroxy acids

What it’s good for: shrinking pore appearance, refining texture, glowy effect

The buzz: “Alpha hydroxy acids are used at a clinical strength in in-office chemical peels, but they’re really still effective at lower doses as home treatments,” Yadav says. “And basically they help break down the bonds between the dead skin cells. So it helps to slough off and it stimulates cellular turnover and the skin is left looking fresher.” And that will boost your glow.

“Smoothing out the skin makes a big difference because then you get a lot more radiance,” Wong says. “It’s how light interacts with the skin. It makes it look a lot smoother and glowier.”

Products to consider:

New York dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross is known for his Alpha Beta Universal Peel Pads – launched back in 2000 – which are predosed with five acids. One pack is sold every two seconds globally.
A bestseller since it launched back in 2000, a bottle of Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant uses salicylic acid to penetrate pores while green tea soothes irritation. One is sold every seven seconds worldwide and it recently went viral on TikTok.

A bestseller since it launched back in 2000, a bottle of Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant uses salicylic acid to penetrate pores while green tea soothes irritation. One is sold every seven seconds worldwide and it recently went viral on TikTok.HANDOUT/Handout

The ingredient: Hyaluronic acid

What it’s good for: hydrating and attracting water to the surface of the skin, minimizing the look of fine lines, providing a plump and juicy appearance

The buzz: “Hyaluronic acid works as a humectant that can hydrate skin,” Wong says. “There’s also some interesting research that’s found that some molecular sizes of hyaluronic acid can thicken skin, possibly through stimulating the wound-healing response.”

Products to consider:

The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum is the brand’s bestseller, has won multiple awards, including Allure magazine’s Best of Beauty 2022, and is a steal at $13.
Inspired by the Korean trend of “glass skin” (read: crystal clear, translucent, luminous), Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum features hyaluronic acid as well as niacinamide and is sold every two minutes.