Sharing some ingredient knowledge with you today! These beneficial vitamins can sometimes be confusing and hard to identify on your skincare product label. Learn all about these ingredients and if you think your skincare routine can benefit from them. Esthetician-approved skincare product suggestions included below!

Vitamin A -

Seen on your ingredient label as Retinol, tretinoin, retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate

The function of vitamin A in skincare is to help speed up cell turnover and cell repair. This ingredient is used in both anti-aging products and products used to clear breakouts. In anti-aging serums and lotions, vitamin A stimulates collagen and elastin to help keep skin firm and wrinkle-free. Retinols and retinoids also have skin softening properties. When vitamin A is used to clear breakouts its ability to accelerate cell turnover unclogs debris and oil in pores.

Retinol products are some of the most popular and well-known ways to introduce vitamin A into your skincare routine. Properly using a well-formulated retinol serum can treat both wrinkles and breakouts, as well as prevent aging. My recommendations for retinol products to try adding into your PM skincare routine (1-4x a week) are Sunday Riley Luna Oil, The Ordinary Retinol 0.5%, or Arcona Advanced A Serum.

scrub me secret: If your skin is highly sensitive, sensitive to vitamin A products, or if you are pregnant, retinol and retinoid products may not be for you. my blog post “Retinol alternatives has great information and recommendations on different skincare ingredients you can use to get similar results.

Vitamin B³ -

Seen on your ingredient label as Niacinamide

Niacinamide’s function in your skincare is to help brighten skin and increase hydration by restoring UV damaged cells and aging cells. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that fight redness and improve barrier function, which will in turn increase hydration. Vitamin B³ often comes in a serum that’s formulated with other ingredients that help boost the benefits.

My 2 personal favorite vitamin B³ serums are the PCA Vitamin B³ Brightening serum (I currently use this daily) and the MAELOVE NIA 10 serum is also a great choice.

scrub me secret: to see results from a new skincare product it typically takes about 4-6 weeks of consistent use. incorporating a niacinamide serum into your skincare routine once a day is a great way to improve the overall appearance of your skin, over time.

Vitamin C -

Seen on your ingredient label as L-ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl (THD) ascorbate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate

If you’re one of my clients at the scrub me skincare studio you probably know that vitamin C is one of my favorite skincare ingredients for age prevention and overall radiance. When used in its correct form, in a high-quality product, vitamin C minimizes environmental and UV damage while providing brightening and skin-strengthening benefits. The ingredients I listed above are effective and deeply penetrating forms of vitamin C. When looking at your ingredients label search for L-ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl (THD) ascorbate, or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate; if you don’t see any of these ingredients I suggest skipping that skincare item.

High-quality and effective vitamin C products that I love are PCA vitamin C&E serum, Common Heir Vitamin C capsules, and SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum. I use vitamin C daily and recommend a vitamin C serum to most of my clients.

scrub me secret: blocking and minimizing damage from UV rays is key to preventing aging. UV rays from the sun and our smartphones degrade collagen and elastin, which means we can start to see fine lines and wrinkles. Antioxidant vitamin C and SPF keep skin firm and youthful by preventing collagen and elastin damage.

Get the most out of your skincare products at home by using them in their correct order and at the correct time! For a breakdown of how to properly apply and layer your products read my blog post “Skin care layering - The proper order to apply your products.”