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I mentioned last week a few of my favourite skincare ingredients, so today’s last and final instalment in this series is all about just that - ingredients.

It takes a while to learn and figure out what works for your skin and what doesn't and I'm still learning myself. But here are a few I personally keep my eye out for.

Try...

Alpha Hydroxy Acids - If your initial reaction to reading the word acid is to back right away, don’t freak out just yet. Though it sounds like the last thing you want to be putting on your face, AHAs are some of the most widely used and studied skincare ingredients on the market. Results have shown improved skin tone, skin hydration and anti-aging benefits.

1) Glycolic Acid - Though it's the smallest of the AHA molecules, glycolic acid comes from sugar cane and packs some serious skincare punch! When you apply a product with GA it essentially eats away at the dead skin cells bonded together. The result? Your skin will look brighter, healthier and more radiant and overtime the appearance of wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation will diminish.

My favourite product? Ren's Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - an exfoliating mask filled with bio extracts like glycolic, lactic and citric acids as well as extracts of passionfruit, grape, pineapple and lemon. The formulation will have your skin tingling (don't freak out, it's meant to happen!) and after application the result is glowing skin.

2) Hyaluronic Acid – Naturally found in our bodies, hyaluronic acid is the reason behind a plump, youthful complexion. How? It locks the moisture in. As we get older our skin becomes a lot dryer and loses its elasticity. Hyaluronic acid is the ingredient you want to keep your eyes pealed for if you want to add that moisture back in, with the ingredient being able to hold 1000 times its weight in water.

My favourite product? Indeed Labs' Hydraluron – a moisture boosting treatment packed with hyaluronic acid to help aid in achieving hydrated, nourished and plumped up skin.

Avoid...

1) Alcohol - There is a lot of research on whether alcohol used in skincare is even bad for you. Some people will say it's good because it can have a quick drying finish that doesn't leave your skin feeling weighed down. So why should you avoid it? Alcohol harms your skins protective barrier, dries your skin out and makes redness even worse. If you are one of those horrid wipes users (prime example of a product packed with alcohol), you will know what I'm talking about here. Bottom line is, I'd rather have my alcohol in a wine glass than in my skincare.

2) Mineral Oil - This is an ingredient that really wasn't on my radar until I started reading Caroline's blog (yes, I'm talking about her again). Basically she breaks it down to that mineral oil has no skincare benefits whatsoever, and yet companies are still filling their skincare products with it. Why? Because it's cheap.

From what I have gathered from my research, mineral oil just sits on top of your skin and when it's included in a product that claims to have any skincare benefits it's basically pointless as the product can't absorb past the MO coating. Whether mineral oil is good or bad divides a lot of skincare junkies out there, but I'm with the latter.

What works and doesn't work is all going to depend on your skin, so it's important to always do your research before you make up your mind about something. This post, as well as my entire blog, is hopefully a tool to use to kick start your own researching journey.

I hope you have enjoyed this Skincare Sunday series as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Skincare is definitely a passion of mine so don't fret, there will be more skincare posts in the future.

Until next time,

ajarose xo