Top Skincare Ingredients for Normal Skin
If your skin isn’t too oily, isn’t too dry and feels ‘just right’ - then it’s pretty likely you have normal skin. The great thing about normal skin is you won’t need to focus ensuring it’s hydrated enough (like dry skin) or deal with extra greasiness (like oily skin). You can focus on the good stuff for your skin, like ingredients that help to keep your skin looking amazing, while also doing double-duty to ensure your skin looks great for the future, too.
If you want to maintain good skin health, while throwing in a few benefits for the long run into the mix - here are my top 8 skincare ingredients for normal skin!
Skin Ferments + Vitamin C
These two work together so well for skin - they’re a great combination for maintaining healthy skin now while still working to benefit your skin in the future. How? Well, first off, Vitamin C is a pretty potent antioxidant. (In my opinion, if you choose one thing off of this list, let it be Vitamin C). As an antioxidant, Vitamin C protects your skin from environmental stress, like pollution and ultraviolet light exposure - both factors that contribute to premature signs of ageing.
Skincare ferments basically make all of your skincare work better, plus they throw in some benefits of their own. According to studies, skin ferments were found to help strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier function - the part of our skin that helps to keep pathogens out and moisture in.
This in turn means that skin is healthier overall - and that means it looks better, too. Ferments are also proven to help brighten hyperpigmentation and revitalise dull skin - combined with Vitamin C, this is a recipe for some seriously glowy skin!
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence | $379.99
Contains SK-II’s iconic fermented skincare ingredient, Pitera, to brighten and moisturise skin.
Dr Irena Eris Tokyo Lift Multi-Pollution Day Defense SPF 30 | $159
This day moisturiser is packed with Vitamin C - one of the most powerful antioxidants.
Lactic Acid + Ceramides
As an AHA, lactic acid works to exfoliate skin, helping excess dead skin cells to shed and encourage cellular renewal. It’s one of the most studied and well-known acids, and it’s benefits for the skin are well recorded - using lactic acid a few times a week is proven to help keep wrinkles at bay for a little bit longer, plus it makes skin look and feel super smooth.
When you’re exfoliating, it’s always important to replenish moisture - while exfoliation is a good thing, doing it too often without putting moisture back into the skin isn’t ideal. That’s where ceramides come in! Ceramides are a super-nourishing skincare ingredient that moisturises skin, restoring any lost hydration for healthy, luminous skin.
Lactic acid and ceramides make a great pair - lactic acid gently resurfaces the skin while ceramides reinforce skins integrity for a dewy, moisturised glow.
SK-II Treatment Clear Lotion | $121
SK-II’s Treatment Clear Lotion combines lactic acid with the power of pitera for exfoliated, radiant skin.
Declare Hydroforce Cream | $45
Contains valuable ceramides that regulate the lipid barrier and increase the skin's moisture level.
Niacinamide + Peptides
Along with antioxidants, niacinamide is the kind of skincare ingredient that I personally think everyone should add to their skincare routines. Ok, maybe it’s a tie between this and Vitamin C. It’s a great all-rounder - it helps to reinforce the acid mantle, can help to fade hyperpigmentation, and decrease the appearance of wrinkles. There literally isn’t much niacinamide can’t do!
It’s fantastic for ensuring that your skin looks glowy and stays that way. Another thing that makes it super unique is that it basically goes with every single skin care ingredient out there, so you don’t need to worry too much about negative product interactions or ingredients cancelling each other out.
To boost niacinamides already-amazing benefits for skin, you might want to pair it with peptides. Here’s the thing - peptides aren’t just for anti-ageing (although, that’s something they are very, very good at helping with). Peptides can help maintain skin integrity and support skin regeneration for healthier skin in the long run. They signal to the skin how to behave, influencing it to produce more collagen or retain more moisture.
SK-II R.N.A. Power Radical New Age Essence | $270
Niacamide works as a booster alongside Pitera for extra radiant skin.
Declaré Age Essential Essence | $85
This essence from Declaré is packed with peptides to revitalise the skin.
Centella Asiatica + Hyaluronic Acid
You might have seen Centella Asiatica pop up lately in the skincare world - and for good reason. It’s got a few other names, like Gotu Kola, Indian Pennywort, and Cica - but all of these refer to the same thing.
Centella Asiatica works incredibly well to moisturise and soothe skin, thanks to its unique triterpenes. Their star abilities are to repair skin faster than it normally would, plus anti-inflammatory benefits to soothe troubled, grumpy skin. Combined with hyaluronic acid, you’ve got a combination for soothed, but super dewy skin!
You’ve probably already read a bunch about how well-loved hyaluronic acid is here at Beauty Affairs, but it’s for good reason. Hyaluronic acid is a potent humectant that helps skin stay hydrated. It draws water into the stratum corneum - keeping skin optimally hydrated helps to ensure that it’s less irritated and insures that your skin has a bit of bounce and glow!
L'Occitane Immortelle Precieuse Essential Water | $44
L’Occitane harnesses the soothing power of Centella Asiatica into a watery, soothing toner.
L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Serum | $155
Hyaluronic acid and other hydrating ingredients are packed into this nourishing serum.
If you've got normal skin, now you know eight key ingredients that you should be using to take care of it. If you're still not sure of your skin type, check out our handy skin type guide!
Still looking for your perfect skincare routine? Try our skin quiz!
Products Mentioned:
- SK-II Facial Treatment Essence | $379.99
- Dr Irena Eris Tokyo Lift Multi-Pollution Day Defense SPF 30 | $159
- SK-II Treatment Clear Lotion | $121
- Declare Hydroforce Cream | $45
- SK-II R.N.A. Power Radical New Age Essence | $270
- Declaré Age Essential Essence | $85
- L'Occitane Immortelle Precieuse Essential Water | $44
- L'Occitane Immortelle Divine Serum | $155
