Skincare expert reveals
The only 3 ingredients we need in our routine
The only true skin care routine? Probably not there. But there are a few things that you should just use. We asked the skincare experts.
When it comes to ingredients, we often fail to see the forest for all its antioxidants, vitamins and acids. What do we really need and what can we safely leave out? We asked Nicolas Travis, founder of the Asian skincare brand Allies of Skin, which three ingredients we REALLY need. For example, he suffered from acne himself for years, but nothing worked, which is why he decided to launch skin care products himself.
Vitamin C
At the top of Nicolas Travis’ list of must-have ingredients is vitamin C. An ingredient that many are probably already familiar with. But what makes it so irreplaceable?
Vitamin C is a daily necessity – it’s been shown to reduce pigment spots, stimulate collagen production, and reduce damage from UV rays and air pollution. Vitamin C regulates excess melanin production for firmer, more radiant skin.
Retinol
Retinol is one of THE power ingredients and should also be part of our routine.
Retinol is one of the few clinically proven ingredients that fight acne, pimple marks, enlarged pores and wrinkles. An all-in-one powerhouse. We have natural retinoic receptors in the skin, so the skin is able to use the ingredient to stimulate collagen production and accelerate skin renewal processes for cleaner and regenerated skin.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are also part of a good preventive care routine – at least according to Nicolas Travis. However, many do not know exactly what they are actually supposed to do. We asked around:
Using antioxidants is like insurance. While there is no visible effect such as exfoliating acids, antioxidants help reduce damage caused by free radicals – unstable molecules that disrupt the functioning of healthy cells and can cause chaos on the skin, such as redness.
Skin damage adds up. When you are 20 or 30 years old, everything may still look good, but at 60 or 70 the skin damage will show up. Antioxidants help keep cells healthy longer.
Nicolas himself is a big fan of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, resveratrol, white tea, kombucha (mushroom), niacinamides and liquorice root. You can learn more about glutathione skin benefits by clicking on the link.