Most people love the idea of having radiant and clear skin. Tending and caring for our skin provides you with feeling refreshed and gives you a nice confidence boost. But unfortunately, it can be challenging to find a good balance of products or a magical solution to provide you with that beautiful, glowing skin you desire.
The best method to keep your skin clear and refreshed is paying attention to your skin type and taking care of it with the right products. Even if you do not wear makeup, you still should execute a good skincare routine as part of your skin’s health. Maybe you feel you wear too much makeup or use too many skincare products and need to strip yourself down to a more minimalist approach when it comes to your skin.
Life is busy, and maybe you haven’t taken the time necessary to diagnose your skin problems so that you can find the right ingredients to make a difference. However, three key ingredients are the most essential for giving yourself clear and radiant skin: salicylic acid, alpha arbutin, and niacinamide. We will break down each and discover what it is about them that helps to nourish and bring your skin back to life.
What is Salicylic Acid?
A mild acid falling under the category of Beta Hydroxy Acids, or BHAs for short, salicylic acid is a clear, pure ingredient utilized across the skin and beauty industry. It can treat multiple skin conditions, including acne, dandruff, warts, and corns.
Many brands utilize salicylic acid in a cleanser for acne treatment. It is also widely used to treat skin conditions like psoriasis and forms of dermatitis. It possesses anti-inflammatory agents and slows down bacteria on the skin.
Using Salicylic Acid on Your Skin
Salicylic acid is an ingredient that, when you apply it to your skin, helps shed dead skin cells from the top layer of skin and reduce inflammation and swelling or redness from your skin. In addition, it exfoliates your skin and helps clear pores that have build-up.
In addition, you should note that any product containing salicylic acid should only be used once a day. You can include it within your morning cleanser or a nighttime cleanser. Preferably, the nighttime is best when using salicylic acid because a peeling action occurs when recovering the fresh layer of skin. The younger and newer skin cells are more susceptible to pollution in the air and sun damage.
If you use salicylic acid as a serum, you can apply a couple of drops on the skin after using a mild cleanser. Then, let it soak into your skin for a few minutes before applying any other products.
What is Alpha Arbutin?
Alpha arbutin is an ingredient that derives from a skin brightener, hydroquinone. It naturally occurs and is obtained from dry leaves of cranberries, blueberries, and bearberries. An additional component of alpha arbutin is giving your skin that healthy, dewy glow.
Another thing that alpha arbutin can do for your skin is reduce pigments. Therefore, it is utilized in skincare products to help reduce the look of freckles, dark spots, age spots, sun spots, blemishes, acne scars, and those marks left after your pimple goes away known as PIH spots.
Using Alpha Arbutin on Your Skin
When you use alpha arbutin as a serum, you will see a dramatic reduction of dark spots and blemishes, as well as brighter skin in a little over a month. However, before applying it, you must cleanse your skin and hydrate it with a moisturizing product, preferably with Hyaluronic acid, which will help your skin lock in the moisture.
Applying alpha arbutin to the skin takes just a couple of drops of serum and then spreading it across your skin gently in a circular motion. Then, you can let it rest on the skin for a couple of minutes before adding any other products.
You should note that along with the salicylic acid application, you need to be sure to protect your skin from air pollution and the sun. It is recommended that you wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above when using alpha arbutin on the skin to protect it from receiving any sun damage.
What is Niacinamide?
Vitamin B3 contains Niacin, and a nutrient form of this is called Niacinamide, or Nicotinamide. The body produces it naturally and helps to build protein in our cells, boosting our immunity. But unfortunately, niacinamide reduces in production as we age.
Another benefit of this ingredient is that it works with the immune system and helps organs function correctly within your body. Niacinamide should be included within your diet since being deficient in Vitamin B3 can cause health issues with your kidneys, brain, and skin.
For your skin, niacinamide helps promote collagen production, which makes the skin more resilient and firm. It also helps to decrease bacteria that create acne pimples in your skin and minimizes pores for a smooth, supple look.
Using Niacinamide on Your Skin
Most of the time, you can find niacinamide in serum form, and you can incorporate it into your skincare routine, using it both in the morning and at nighttime. Since niacinamide’s function is helpful to your body and your skin, it works with all different skin textures and types. It also works somewhat like alpha arbutin by fading dark spots and blemishes.
Look for products that pair niacinamide with hyaluronic acid to bring in college as well as lock in moisture, softening your skin for a healthy glow. In addition, hyaluronic acid works well with niacinamide to keep your skin from being too dry, so if you suffer from dry skin, be sure to incorporate these products within your skin routine.
Utilize the Benefits of These 3 Key Ingredients
There are many natural and whole ingredients that you can use on your skin. For example, many people understand the benefits of honey helping chapped lips or cucumbers to support tired or puffy eyes. However, working with these three ingredients daily, when used correctly, you will see a significant difference in how your skin feels and looks.
Taking care of your skin is not just something to do for those who care about beauty. A healthy skincare regime is a part of taking care of yourself. Taking a minimalist approach to your skin by working with these three ingredients will give your skin a beautiful glow while providing you with that necessary boost of confidence.
Author Bio
Nicole is a content creator who has been obsessed with beauty and fashion since she was a young girl. She’s a former wedding makeup artist who still loves spending her free time testing products and staying up to date on new fashion trends. On top of that, she’s a self-proclaimed health nut who loves to explore and write on holistic, healthy living. While Nicole’s days are now spent contributing to women’s lifestyle sites from home while raising her kids, she can still always be found putting looks together, even if it’s just for a trip to the grocery store!
