There's a reason certain ingredients are hall-of-famers when it comes to skin care. The recipe for an effective anti-aging routine is sunscreen in the morning and retinol at night. Clay and charcoal are clutch at absorbing gunk and oil. And for straight-up hydration, there are three ingredients that—though they may not be particularly novel or sexy—are popping up in tons of new products because, frankly, they work.
And that's not to say that they're the same old thing. "Advances in technology allow for improved stability of active ingredients, enhanced penetration of ingredients into the skin, and greater activity once they've reached the deeper skin layer," says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner. So even though some of these face creams don't seem any spiffier, they definitely are.
Hyaluronic acid. This natural sugar found in skin acts as a humectant, drawing water in. There's more than one form of it (hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronic acid, to list a couple). And in this case, more is more. In SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator, for example, "short-chain and long-chain hyaluronic acid work together along with sustained-release hyaluronic acid to maintain constant levels until your next application," says Zeichner. The lotion has a primer feel to it and creates a blurred, filter effect. And yes, it's crazy moisturizing, too. Paula's Choice Resist Hyaluronic Acid Booster is a gel that mixes with any cream or lotion to up the hydration quotient. After an unfortunate incident with retinol, the booster calmed our inflamed skin and helped bring it back to neutral.
Ceramides. Not all fat is bad. Ceramides are like glue holding skin cells together and preventing moisture loss. Add fatty acids and cholesterol to the mix and you've got a mixture pretty much guaranteed to improve the barrier function of damaged skin. Once we noticed our skin starting to look smoother, softer, and more plump after using SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore, we blew through an entire jar.
B-complex vitamins. Not to overstate the effects of B vitamins, but they kind of do it all. With "abilities to soothe irritated skin, help promote collagen production, and brighten uneven complexion and dark spots," according to Zeichner, it definitely wouldn't hurt to throw a few into your daily moisturizer. Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel is a lightweight jelly that soaks right into skin and has a similar blurring effect as the SkinMedica lotion. After a couple weeks, we noticed improvement in skin tone and that key descriptor: glowing.
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