Our Naughty & Nice List- Skincare Ingredients

There is a lot of confusion surrounding skin care ingredients with new products popping up left right and center! We thought this was a good time to address what ones are good and bad with our Naughty & Nice List. 

Read on to find out which ingredients you should be using and which to avoid. 

Chemical Exfoliants 

Exfoliation does wonders for the skin, especially for mature or ageing skin. As we age, our skin’s natural ability to shed away dead skin cells decreases in efficacy, leaving the skin feeling dull, dry and flaky.  

We all know that exfoliation is an important part of every effective skincare routine. But did you know that physical exfoliators may be doing your skin more harm than good? Physical exfoliators (which often contain small sand-like exfoliating beads and are rough to the touch) cause micro-tears to the skin, which often leads to skin sensitivity and irritation.  

AHA/BHA exfoliants are smooth and non-abrasive, and often come in the form of a liquid or lotion. Also known as "chemical exfoliators" (don't worry, they are very safe and healthy for the skin) they work at removing the “bonds” that keep dead skin cells attached to the surface of the skin, without the roughness that comes with physical exfoliators. Do your skin a favour and ditch the harsh and abrasive scrubs for a gentle and effective natural exfoliant! 

Our verdict: NICE! 

 

Physical Exfoliants

Gone are the times of scrubbing your skin until its smooth, this can be great for 5 minutes but can cause long-term detriment to the skins surface. 

Physical exfoliants like those with microbeads can often do more harm than good to your skin. The small and tough balls rub against your face and don't break down, this causes them to create small tears on the skin resulting in aggravation and damage.

Next time you feel like your skin needs some clearing or smoothing opt for a chemical exfoliant, as scary as they sound these beauties are much nicer to the skin. 

Our verdict: Naughty! 

 

Retinol 

Retinol is a big buzz word at the moment and with good reason. This is one of the most potent anti-ageing ingredients available. This beauty is the ultimate all-rounder as it helps to smooth the skin, reduce fine lines, pores and wrinkles, neutralize damage caused by free radicals and much more. 

Retinol is also known to aid in increasing the absorption of other ingredients which helps deliver moisture deep into the skin to hydrate and also work to lift scaring from underneath the skins first layer. 

Be careful with this ingredient as it can cause sun sensitivity, it should only be used in the evening and washed off the next morning. 

Our verdict: NICE! 

 

Hyaluronic Acid 

If you want hydrated, glowing and radiant skin, hyaluronic acid is your go to! 

Hyaluronic acid molecules can hold up to 1,000 times their own weight in water. Which plumps and redensifies skin, filling the look of wrinkles and delivering unparalleled levels of intense hydration.

The 3D plumping spheres in our Advance SUPERLIFT Lifting & Firming Complex delivers high doses of Hyaluronic Acid into the skin, settling into folds and expanding as they rehydrate from within, resulting in a visibly, more volumised appearance.

Our verdict: NICE! 

 

 Lemon Juice 

Lemon juice is a natural ingredient many have started to incorporate into skin care regimes, especially those wanting to go more natural. This is because of the vitamin C content which is good for the skin however the acidity in lemon juice can be extremely harmful for the skin. 

Lemon juice has a high acid level which can burn sensitive skin, cause extreme sensitivity to the sun and more. 

Our recommendation is to avoid this at all costs. The benefits of vitamin c can be found in scientifically proven formulations. Like our Oxygen-C Range which features vitamin C derived from Kakadu Plum, the worlds richest source of vitamin c. 

Our verdict: Naughty!