When it comes to ingredients, we often don't see the forest for the sheer number of 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 helped, which is why he decided to bring skin care onto the market 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 has been proven to reduce pigmentation spots, stimulate collagen production and reduce damage from UV rays and air pollution. Vitamin C regulates excess melanin production for tighter, more radiant skin.
Retinol
Retinol is one of THE power ingredients at all and should also be part of our routine.
Retinol is one of the few clinically proven ingredients to fight acne, pimples, enlarged pores and wrinkles. An all-in-one powerhouse. We have natural retinoic receptors in the skin so that the skin's ingredient is able to stimulate collagen production and accelerate skin renewal processes for cleaner and regenerated skin.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are also part of a good and preventive care routine – at least according to Nicolas Travis. However, many do not know exactly what they are supposed to do. We asked around:
Using antioxidants is like insurance. While there is no visible effect, such as with peeling acids, antioxidants help to reduce damage caused by free radicals – unstable molecules that disrupt the function of healthy cells and cause chaos on the skin, such as redness.
Skin damage adds up. If 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 for longer.
Nicolas himself is a big fan of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, resveratrol, white tea, kombucha (mushroom), niacin amides and licorice root.