10 Powerful Skincare Ingredients to Know

When it comes to skincare, it’s so important to be educated. When you know what you’re putting on your skin, you feel empowered. More importantly, you don’t feel like a deer in the headlights when you see the names of these ingredients on skincare products. We’ve compiled the top 10 powerful skincare ingredients you should become more familiar with in order to get the most out of your skincare regimen. Read carefully through this post to better understand what your skin needs and how you can benefit it.

1. Retinol – Retinol is also known as vitamin A. It’s a skincare superstar because it helps boost the appearance of collagen-deprived skin and helps exfoliate dead skin cells. Both of these benefits help to prevent visible signs of aging while also addressing the noticeable manifestations of aging that already exist.[1] Regular use of retinol can help soften the appearance of wrinkles.[2] Another benefit of retinol is its helpfulness in battling the appearance of blemishes thanks to its ability to help keep pores clean. This allows cells to slough off and shed more readily instead of piling up inside hair follicles and clogging pores. Find retinol in Image Skincare products, including: AGELESS total overnight retinol masque, IMAGE MD retinol booster, IMAGE MD restoring retinol crème, IMAGE MD restoring overnight retinol masque, AGELESS total repair crème, BODY SPA rejuvenating body lotion, and IMAGE MD restoring youth repair crème.
2. Niacinamide – This ingredient has been appearing in more and more skincare products lately, due in part to its ability to hydrate, protect the lipid barrier, and help minimize the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Find niacinamide in Image Skincare’s ILUMA intense facial illuminator (learn more about the ILUMA family of products).
3. Hyaluronic Acid – Hyaluronic acid (HA) is another superstar skincare ingredient. It provides hydration, helping to lock in moisture thanks to its remarkable ability to retain 1,000 times its weight in water[3]. This allows it to help plump up fine lines and wrinkles, making them less perceptible. Find it in many Image Skincare products, including: AGELESS total pure hyaluronic 6 filler, VITAL C hydrating repair crème, VITAL C hydrating water burst, I MASK hydrating hydrogel sheet mask, VITAL C hydrating eye recover gel, IMAGE MD restoring youth repair crème, I MASK firming transformation mask, ORMEDIC balancing antioxidant serum, and ORMEDIC balancing biopeptide crème.
4. Vitamin C – Add vitamin C to your list of must-have ingredients. This essential substance has emerged as a giant among skincare ingredients because it packs quite a punch against signs of aging and hyperpigmentation by helping to improve the appearance of collagen-deprived skin and brighten and even out the overall look of one’s complexion. Vitamin C should be in everyone’s skincare regimen. Find it in Image Skincare products, including: VITAL C Collection, CLEAR CELL restoring serum, AGELESS total eye lift crème, ILUMA intense brightening crème, IMAGE MD restoring youth repair crème, IMAGE MD restoring youth repair serum, ILUMA intense brightening serum, I MASK purifying probiotic mask, and ILUMA intense facial illuminator.
5. Salicylic Acid – Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that rushes in to clarify and clean out pores. It is a common ingredient in over-the-counter acne treatments as it helps increase cell turnover to help unclog pores. Salicylic acid can also help with signs of aging because of its ability to aid in cell turnover.[4] Find it in Image Skincare’s CLEAR CELL salicylic gel cleanser, CLEAR CELL salicylic clarifying pads, CLEAR CELL salicylic clarifying tonic, IMAGE MD restoring facial cleanser, and CLEAR CELL medicated acne masque.
6. Glycolic Acid – Glycolic acid joins retinol, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C as a rockstar ingredient that can really help with rough skin texture and the visible signs of aging. Glycolic acid, like vitamin C and retinol, also help skin appear more collagen-rich.[5] It is an alpha hydroxy acid that you may have noticed as the key ingredient in many chemically exfoliating products. Glycolic acid helps loosen the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together, helping to slough them away to reveal smoother, brighter skin underneath.[6] Find it in Image Skincare’s IMAGE MD restoring youth repair crème, IMAGE MD restoring facial cleanser, AGELESS total repair crème, BODY SPA rejuvenating body lotion, CLEAR CELL salicylic clarifying pads, and CLEAR CELL medicated acne masque.
7. Peptides – Peptides are strings of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Peptides in skincare help boost the look of collagen-poor skin, making skin appear firm and bouncy. The more collagen in skin, the less likely the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.[7] Collagen diminishes as we age and can also degrade in the skin due to environmental factors like sun damage. Find peptides in Image Skincare’s IMAGE MD restoring youth repair serum, AGELESS total anti-aging serum, VITAL C hydrating water burst, AGELESS total eye lift crème, VITAL C hydrating eye recovery gel, BODY SPA rejuvenating body lotion, ILUMA intense brightening eye crème, the MAX facial cleanser, ORMEDIC balancing eye lift gel, I MASK anti-aging hydrogel sheet mask, the MAX neck lift, the MAX crème, the MAX eye crème, ORMEDIC biopeptide crème, IMAGE MD restoring eye gel, IMAGE MD restoring masque, IMAGE MD overnight retinol masque, IMAGE MD restoring retinol crème, and RONERT MD restoring collagen lip enhancer SPF 15.
8. Ceramides – Ceramides are naturally-occurring lipids that help keep skin hydrated. As you know, hydration is super important in helping skin look plump and youthful. Ceramides essentially help skin retain moisture and, if your skin is lacking in ceramides, it can look dry and even become irritated.[8] Find it in Image Skincare’s VITAL C hydrating repair crème.
9. Collagen – In your body, collagen is the most abundant protein. It keeps skin firm, and the firmer skin is, the less likely that it will develop wrinkles. Of course, collagen does diminish with age, and that’s why it’s important to use products that use collagen – and you can even drink it! Take a shot of collagen supplements to help make skin look like it still has an abundance of it.[9] Find collagen in Image Skincare’s YANA daily collagen shots, AGELESS total overnight retinol masque, RONERT MD restoring collagen lip enhancer SPF 15, AGELESS total overnight retinol masque, VITAL C hydrating eye recovery gel, BODY SPA CELL.U.LIFT body crème, the MAX serum, VITAL C hydrating antioxidant ACE serum, the MAX stem cell crème, IMAGE MD restoring eye recovery gel, IMAGE MD restoring overnight retinol masque, and IMAGE MD restoring retinol crème.
10. Azelaic Acid – Azelaic acid is an ingredient that often gets a little overlooked, and yet it has several benefits for skin. It can help reduce the appearance of common skin problems like hyperpigmentation.[10] Find it in Image Skincare’s ILUMA intense brightening serum.

Also check out Ingredients 101, our beginners guide to understanding skincare ingredients and all of the IMAGE products they can be found in. 

[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/In_Brief_Retinol_helps_reverse_normal_skin_aging

[2] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/412795

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886/ 

[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1535287/

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9793513/

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6017965/

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6981886/

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6197824/

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835901/

[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1712709/