WTF are... actives anyway?
WTF Is... is an ongoing series from Not Born With It, demystifying buzzwords from the cosmetic work/wellness universes. Today: Actives - the secret sauce of skincare
So… WTF are they?
‘Actives’ is a blanket term that has been adopted by the skincare community to refer to a category of ingredients that are known to have specific properties that target specific skincare concerns.
E.g. if a product is for the treatment of acne and the ingredient in it that’s intended to treat acne is salicylic acid, the ‘active’ ingredient is salicylic acid.
Ingredients referenced to as ‘actives’ include: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, azeliac acid, ceramides, retinol, AHAs, BHAs, vitamins A, C and E.
What’s the point of it? I mean, what does it actually do?
There isn’t an ‘official’ list of conditions that an active could treat, but these are the types of categories for which an active ingredient would be expected:
Signs of ageing
Dryness/Psoriasis/Eczema
Pigmentation issues/uneven skin tone/Rosacea
Acne
How does it work?
No two actives are the same.
And why would someone want it?
Actives are ingredients that are proven to work in the treatment of specific conditions and have data backing their efficacy.
How much is it?
You will often find the same active ingredient in a drugstore option, a luxury option, and in a prescription dose.
In the UK, it’s usually much cheaper to buy prescription skincare than it is to buy a cosmetic company option.
Due to the unique decisions made by the US healthcare system, the inverse is true.
Finacea (an azelaic acid), for example, is £22 in the UK if bought with a private prescription. £9.65 if bought with a prescription from an NHS doctor.
It’s $300-$400 in the US, if not covered by insurance.
Does it hurt?
Some actives might sting on application, but if it’s genuinely hurting, then you’re probably using the wrong strength or wrong product for you.
Has anyone you would have heard of talked about getting it?
Anyone using skincare is likely using an active, knowingly or unknowingly.
Have I had it?
I’m a big fan of actives. I have variously used hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, retinoids, niacinamide and various vitamin derivatives.
I used steroids for eczema when I was first diagnosed in my teens, but discontinued these in favour of other skincare options for long-term treatment and prevention of my eczema.
Would I have it?
100%
Should you have it?
There will almost certainly be an active that can improve an aspect of your skin. Finding which suits you can be trial and error. You need to be very conscious of:
what you’re looking to achieve from a product
what your skin type is
what products your skin has reacted to, positively or negatively, in the past1
So, yes, absolutely, but don’t go nuts and don’t introduce multiple individual actives at the same time. Many products combine multiple actives, so these have been specifically formulated to complement one another.
Bear in mind that if you react/are sensitive to one specific active, you won’t know which if you’re using a multi-active product.
Anything else I think you should know?
Many people are ruining their skin barriers by using too many actives or too high a concentration of individual actives. More is not better in this instance.
If you are a skincare noob, start with low concentrations of actives and only increase once you know that your skin can tolerate, or responds well to. It takes about 6 weeks of consistent use to see the effects of a new ingredient.
There are some actives that you should not use at the same time2 as one another, as they can either counteract one another3, or risk damaging your skin.
Disclaimer: ‘WTF is…’ guides are intended to be a 3-5 minute introduction to a topic. They are, by their nature, not exhaustive.
If you have a concern that I’ve irresponsibly included/omitted information, don’t hesitate to get in touch to let me know and I’ll take a look.
Reminder that any cosmetic work undertaken should be in accordance with The 6 rules of cosmetic work. Here they are, in case you missed them the first time…
A spreadsheet tracker would be ideal in this instance, but I’m aware most people aren’t as maniacal about a spreadsheet as I am.
Usually, it’s fine to use one in the morning and the other one in the evening, you just shouldn’t combine them at the same time of day.
There will be a post on this.